Abstract

Decisions which previously were taken by the health professional alone are nowadays resulting from a shared decision making process in which patients obtain information from different sources.

How patients assess the risks and benefits regarding treatment for their condition, can differ from the assessment of health professionals. Message framing of the treatment regarding benefits and risks and evidence of the effect of the treatment are just a few of the variables that may influence the choice of the patient. Shared decision making can enhance the patients understanding of treatment options and heighten confidence to make that choice, which will improve satisfaction with the chosen treatment. However, anxiety and unfamiliarity with the disease (a lack of, or perhaps even poor information), as well as with the multitude of treatment alternatives, are issues that should not be ignored.

The patient perspective on the perception of benefits and risks and the trade-offs between those will be stressed. Personal experiences of situations in which benefit-risk decisions were important (in research as well as in clinical practice), will be highlighted and differences of risks (disease vs. non-disease related risks) as well as the possibility of prevention of risks will be explained. Effective communication regarding benefits and risks is essential for the patient in order to make a balanced choice and obtain better health outcomes.

This presentation will assist in understanding the decision making process of patients, who have to face the actual day-to-day consequences of those decisions.