The informed decision-making process
Making a truly informed medical decision involves more
than a single decision. It is a step-by-step process
in which you take responsibility for making a number
of decisions. Your decision to seek help was the first
step in that process. The rest of the process is described
below.
1.
Understand your condition
You
can't make an informed decision about something you
do not understand. So your first step is to gain knowledge
about your disease. To accomplish this, you will need
to:
- listen
carefully to your health care professionals
when you are presented with a diagnosis of your condition
and a description of your treatment options;
- thoroughly
read any literature provided by your health care team;
- seek
out information on your own (many associations provide
literature free of charge to the general public);
and
- ask
questions about anything you do not understand.
DECISION
#1: Am I willing to take a studious approach to understanding
my condition?
2.
Weigh the risks and benefits
Once
you have gained adequate information about your condition,
you must next weigh the risks and benefits associated
with your various treatment options. Keep in mind the
impact your condition has on your way of life. Consider
the limitations that your symptoms place on your ability
to perform those activities that are most important
to you.
In some cases, you may discover that the risks involved
in having a particular treatment are greater than the
benefit you may gain from it. In other cases, the benefit
to be gained may outweigh any possible risk. Discuss
these issues with your family, and ask your health care
team about anything you do not understand.
DECISION
#2: Do the potential benefits of this treatment outweigh
the possible risks?
3.
Develop realistic expectations
What
do you want to accomplish by having medical treatment?
Do you want to simply gain relief from pain or do you
want to return to a particular level of physical activity?
After you determine what your goals are, ask your health
care professional if your expectations are realistic
and what you will have to do to accomplish your goals.
DECISION
#3: Am I willing to develop and accept realistic expectations?
4.
Commit to working at recovery
Medical
treatment may help to relieve your symptoms, but can't
heal your body or return it to a former state of health.
Treatment is only the beginning of your recovery
process. As your body begins to heal on its own, you
must make a physical and a mental commitment
to working at regaining your lost abilities.
Recognize that it is your effort, your lifestyle
choices and the severity of your medical condition that
will determine the degree to which you can return to
a normal level of activity.
DECISION
#4: Am I willing to work at recovery, including making
lifestyle changes if necessary?
5.
Make a final decision
After
you have answered the first four questions, all that
remains is for you to make a final decision about which
treatment option is best for you. It may be helpful
to discuss your options with your family and members
of your health care team, but in the end only you
can make the final decision. Once you make that decision,
trust in it, look to the future and work to achieve
the best possible recovery.
DECISION
#5: Am I willing to accept responsibility for my own
health care decisions?
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The
benefits for you!
By taking ownership of your health care
decisions, you are likely to have:
- less
anxiety prior to and during your treatment;
- a
better mental attitude, which can help
to increase your body's own healing powers;
- a
speedier recovery because you are committed
to actively participating in returning
to a normal level of activity; and
- the
best recovery possible because you have
realistic goals and work steadily to
achieve them.
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A
patient-centered approach to medical decision making
which empowers patients and involves them in a "partnership"
of shared responsibility with their health care professionals.
The
traditional approach
Traditionally,
medical decisions were made for patients by their
health care professionals. The attitude was that doctors
and nurses, as experts in the field, were the ones best
prepared to choose what was "indicated" for the patient.
As a result, patients were left with only a passive
role in the decision-making process. It's not difficult
to recognize that this is neither a wise nor a desirable
way to make any major decision.
Sharing
the responsibility
Today,
consumers of medical services are seeking to be involved
in a meaningful way in the health care decisions.
To take that meaningful role and to make a truly informed
decision, patients need information about:
- their
medical condition;
- the
risks and benefits of their various treatment options;
and
- their
responsibility for actively participating in
the treatment and recovery process.
Once
patients are empowered with this information,
they enter into a "partnership" of shared responsibility
with their health care professionals, in which each
party agrees to fulfill certain obligations.
Health
care professionals' responsibilities
In
a patient-centered approach to medical decision-making,
health care professionals are responsible for:
- establishing
a diagnosis;
- presenting
appropriate treatment options, including their risks
and benefits;
- providing
patient education;
- providing
the necessary technical skills; and
- supporting
you during your recovery.
Your
responsibilities
In
this process, you are responsible for:
- taking
a studious approach to learning about your
medical condition;
- weighing
the risks and benefits of your various treatment options
and accepting their outcomes;
- developing
realistic expectations;
- making
the final decision about which treatment option is
best for you;
- supporting
your health care team by faithfully following their
instructions; and
- working
at recovering from your condition, including making
lifestyle changes if necessary.
Remember,
it is your body that will heal itself and your own efforts
that will lead to your recovery.
