What is a patient decision aid?
A patient decision aid is a resource that helps people understand a specific healthcare decision and prepare for a conversation with their healthcare professional.
It can help someone understand their options, consider potential benefits and risks, identify what matters most to them, and decide what questions to ask.
A decision aid does not make the decision for the person. Its purpose is to support informed choice and shared decision making.
What is shared decision making?
Shared decision making is a collaborative conversation between a person and their healthcare professional about decisions relating to their care. Patient decision aids support shared decision making.
They bring together the available evidence, clinical expertise, and information about potential benefits, risks, and uncertainties with the person’s preferences, circumstances, values, goals, and lived experience.
For people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and long COVID, this is particularly important because symptoms, functional capacity and post-exertional malaise (PEM) can vary significantly between individuals.
What a decision aid will not cover?
A patient decision aid is not a diagnostic, treatment or self-management guide. It will not:
- diagnose ME/CFS, long COVID or PEM;
- assess an individual’s symptoms or severity;
- provide personalised medical advice;
- teach someone how to undertake an activity or exercise;
- tell someone how much activity they should undertake; or
- replace professional assessment or care.
The goal
To support people with ME/CFS and long COVID to make informed healthcare decisions that are right for them, in partnership with their healthcare team.
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a health care provider.
