Decision Aids can be used by both patients and physicians in the shared decision process. They help patients make more informed decisions based on a visual depiction of the evidence. You can use these decision aids to help patients understand when antibiotics are not helpful, the risks of discharge from the ED (low risk chest pain) and cancer screening (mammogram, colonoscopy, PSA, CT for lung cancer). Sometimes the evidence is not as clear cut as it may seem. Decision Aids can also allow patients and clinicians to decide together on medications based on risks, benefits and side effect profiles.
