Within the course of every illness or health problem, you have to make decisions-little decisions about whether to call a doctor and what self-care is best, and big decisions about medications, tests, and surgeries. Decision Point topics focus on medical care decisions you may face.

Decision Point topics help you understand the key information and important issues related to your decision. Before you can make an informed decision it's important that you:

• Fully understand the medical problem and testing or treatment options.
• Consider your personal values and preferences.

This information will help you work in partnership with your doctor. When both you and your doctor participate in the decision-making process, you'll reach the decision that best fits your needs and concerns.

This image identifies links to Decision Points. The links can appear in any section of a related topic but most often appear in the Treatment Overview, the Exams and Tests section, or the Living With … section. Decision Points can also be found in the Health Tools section of a topic.

What's included within a Decision Point?

Key points to remember

Key points are the core of a decision. They capture the most important information in the Decision Point and present it in an easy-to-understand format. Often, key points summarize compelling medical information, offer a concise look at risk versus benefit, explain possible short-term and long-term outcomes, cite expert recommendations, or even offer common-sense advice. The remaining sections in the Decision Point support the statements made in the key points.

FAQs

The"FAQs" section presents medical information in question-and-answer format. This section includes medical facts about the options presented in the Decision Point, such as:

• What's involved in each option.
• How well each option works.
• How factors such as stage of disease, health history, and age might affect the decision.
• What the clinical guidelines recommend.

Compare Options

The "Compare Options" section offers a side-by-side comparison table that allows you to directly compare the benefits and risks of each option. Personal stories about people who chose each option are included.

Your Feelings

The "Your Feelings" section helps you think about and express your feelings and preferences about the options.

Your Decision

The "Your Decision" section asks which option you are leaning toward, after having learned the key medical facts and thought about what matters to you.

Quiz Yourself

The "Quiz Yourself" section lets you check your knowledge of the facts. You can also express how confident you feel about making the decision and record any other concerns you may have.

Your Summary

The "Your Summary" section collects the information you have entered throughout the Decision Point so that you can review it and even make a printout to take to your next doctor's visit. Your doctor can use the summary page to see how well you understand the medical facts, what your personal feelings are about the decision, and which way you're leaning. You can also share the printout with anyone else whom you want to involve in the decision.