title: Understanding medical decision making in hand surgery.
abstract: The practice of medicine takes place in an environment of uncertainty. Expected value decision making, prospect theory, and regret theory are three theories of decision making under uncertainty that may be used to help us learn how patients and physicians make decisions. These theories form the underpinnings of decision analysis and provide the opportunity to introduce the broad discipline of decision science. Because decision analysis and economic analysis are underrepresented in upper extremity surgery, the authors believe these are important areas for future research.
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Division of Biostatistics, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: McCabe
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012306:Risk