Using decision aids

Overview of decision aids

 

Decision aids are evidence-based sources of health information that can help people make informed treatment decisions.

 

Decision aids are a part of a shared decision-making process, encouraging active participation by people in their healthcare decisions. They have been developed to make it easier for people and healthcare professionals to discuss treatment options.

 

In several overseas countries, such as Canada, the US and parts of Europe, organisations have developed a range of sophisticated electronic and paper-based tools that are underpinned by evidence-based algorithms. Some of these tools can be useful in New Zealand, but their usefulness can be limited due to lack of alignment with New Zealand treatment guidelines and protocols.   

 

Decision aids and resources that help shared decision making

 

Below are some decision aids and resources that can be used in the New Zealand healthcare setting.

​

Kidney disease

• Information about kidney disease on Health Navigator

• A health professional guide, A decision aid for the treatment of kidney disease

• A decision aid for consumers, My kidneys, my choice

 

Osteoarthritis

• Information about knee arthritis on Health Navigator

• What are my options for managing hip or knee osteoarthritis?

• Knee osteoarthritis: treatment options

 

Managing heart health risk

The Heart Foundation has a range of resources designed to support a conversation about changes people can make to reduce their heart health risk. Many of these resources are available in a range of different languages.

• Smoking

• Cholesterol

• Blood pressure

 

Generic personal decision guide

• The Ottawa personal decision guide (pdf) is a template to help people who are making health or social decisions weigh up their options, considering their own values, knowledge, support and certainty around the decision they are making.

​

Health Navigator

• Health Navigator is a source of up-to-date, accurate New Zealand health information. The Health A-Z can be easily searched to provide a quick reference about conditions and treatments that you can share with the people you are working with.

 

Overseas organisations with decision aid resources

• The Ottawa (Canada) Patient Decision Aids website has an A–Z inventory of decision aids. It contains up-to-date and available decision aids that meet a minimal set of criteria.

• The Mayo Clinic (US) Shared Decision Making National Resource Centre holds a number of decision aids, most of them electronic, as well as other useful resources.

• Patient Info (UK) is a health information portal designed to be used by the UK public. This website has decision aids in the clinicians’ section.

• Healthwise (US) website has resources focused on consumer engagement, health education and shared decision making.

 

Further reading

• Decision aids for people facing health treatment or screening decisions Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Jul 8;(3):CD001431.

• An introduction to patient decision aids BMJ. 2013;347:f4147.

​