[Choosing between different treatment options: how should I inform my patients?].
Evidence-based medicine promotes the use of best available evidence to improve the transparency and quality of health care. The physician's clinical expertise and patient preferences are also important. Clear communication with the patient, based on available evidence from scientific research, is pivotal to making a balanced treatment choice, particularly when several equivalent treatment options are available. Although cure is obviously the aim of any medical intervention a certain risk of damage is always involved. Several verbal, numerical and graphical methods are available to inform the patient, with the aim of enabling the patient to make an informed choice when taking part in decisions on available treatment options. The aim should be to explain both beneficial and harmful effects of medical interventions in a straightforward manner. However, the amount and content of this information should be tailored to the patient's wishes.
Academisch Medisch Centrum/Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. d.ubbink@amc.nl
Dirk Th
DT
Ubbink
Anouk M
AM
Knops
Dink A
DA
Legemate
Patrick M M
PM
Bossuyt
J C J M Hanneke
JC
de Haes
Astrid
A
Goossens
D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010358:Patient Participation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care