Sharing decisions with patients: is the information good enough?

摘要

If information materials are to be used to support patients' involvement in treatment decisions, they must contain relevant, research based data in a form that is acceptable and useful to patients. Current information materials for patients omit relevant data, fail to give a balanced view of the effectiveness of different treatments, and ignore uncertainties. Many information materials adopt a patronising tone—few actively promote a participative approach to decision making. Groups producing information materials must start with needs defined by patients, give treatment information based on rigorous systematic reviews, and involve multidisciplinary teams (including patients) in developing and testing the materials.