Importance of risk communication and decision making in cardiovascular conditions in older patients: a discussion paper.
Atrial fibrillation and aortic stenosis commonly present doctors and patients with difficult decisions about the risks and benefits of treatment options and are both often inappropriately undertreated. Patients may be confused by risk information and doctors may be aware of patients' limitations and use this to manipulate choices to the ones desired by the doctors. This paper examines the importance of risk communication and discusses difficulties that can arise in decision making in these two common cardiovascular conditions.
Dudley
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St James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK. Nigel.Dudley@leedsth.nhs.uk
D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D010358:Patient Participation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014859:Warfarin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000925:Anticoagulants; D014859:Warfarin; D001241:Aspirin