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A
Guide
to
Understanding
Patient
and
the
"Partnership"
of
Shared
Responsibility
Involved
in
Medical
Decision-Making
Making
a
truly
informed
medical
decision
involves
more
than
a
single
decision.
It
is a
step-by-step
process
in
which
you
take
responsibility
for
making
a
number
of
decisions.
Your
decision
to
seek
help
was
the
first
step
in
that
process.
The
rest
of
the
process
is
described
below.
You
can't
make
an
informed
decision
about
something
you
do
not
understand.
So
your
first
step
is
to
gain
knowledge
about
your
disease.
To
accomplish
this,
you
will
need
to:
-
listen carefully to your health care professionals when you are presented with a diagnosis of your condition and a description of your treatment options;
-
thoroughly read any literature provided by your health care team;
-
seek out information on your own (many associations provide literature free of charge to the general public); and
-
ask questions about anything you do not understand.
DECISION
#1:
Am I
willing
to
take
a
studious
approach
to
understanding
my
condition?
Once
you
have
gained
adequate
information
about
your
condition,
you
must
next
weigh
the
risks
and
benefits
associated
with
your
various
treatment
options.
Keep
in
mind
the
impact
your
condition
has
on
your
way
of
life.
Consider
the
limitations
that
your
symptoms
place
on
your
ability
to
perform
those
activities
that
are
most
important
to
you.
In
some
cases,
you
may
discover
that
the
risks
involved
in
having
a
particular
treatment
are
greater
than
the
benefit
you
may
gain
from
it.
In
other
cases,
the
benefit
to
be
gained
may
outweigh
any
possible
risk.
Discuss
these
issues
with
your
family,
and
ask
your
health
care
team
about
anything
you
do
not
understand.
DECISION
#2:
Do
the
potential
benefits
of
this
treatment
outweigh
the
possible
risks?
What
do
you
want
to
accomplish
by
having
medical
treatment?
Do
you
want
to
simply
gain
relief
from
pain
or
do
you
want
to
return
to a
particular
level
of
physical
activity?
After
you
determine
what
your
goals
are,
ask
your
health
care
professional
if
your
expectations
are
realistic
and
what
you
will
have
to
do
to
accomplish
your
goals.
DECISION
#3:
Am I
willing
to
develop
and
accept
realistic
expectations?
Medical
treatment
may
help
to
relieve
your
symptoms,
but
can't
heal
your
body
or
return
it
to a
former
state
of
health.
Treatment
is
only
the
beginning
of
your
recovery
process.
As
your
body
begins
to
heal
on
its
own,
you
must
make
a
physical
and
a
mental
commitment
to
working
at
regaining
your
lost
abilities.
Recognize
that
it
is
your
effort,
your
lifestyle
choices
and
the
severity
of
your
medical
condition
that
will
determine
the
degree
to
which
you
can
return
to a
normal
level
of
activity.
DECISION
#4:
Am I
willing
to
work
at
recovery,
including
making
lifestyle
changes
if
necessary?
After
you
have
answered
the
first
four
questions,
all
that
remains
is
for
you
to
make
a
final
decision
about
which
treatment
option
is
best
for
you.
It
may
be
helpful
to
discuss
your
options
with
your
family
and
members
of
your
health
care
team,
but
in
the
end
only
you
can
make
the
final
decision.
Once
you
make
that
decision,
trust
in
it,
look
to
the
future
and
work
to
achieve
the
best
possible
recovery.
DECISION
#5:
Am I
willing
to
accept
responsibility
for
my
own
health
care
decisions?
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By taking ownership of your health care decisions, you are likely to have:
-
prior to and during your treatment;
-
, which can help to increase your body's own healing powers;
-
because you are committed to actively participating in returning to a normal level of activity; and
-
because you have realistic goals and work steadily to achieve them.
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Traditionally,
medical
decisions
were
made
for
patients
by
their
health
care
professionals.
The
attitude
was
that
doctors
and
nurses,
as
experts
in
the
field,
were
the
ones
best
prepared
to
choose
what
was
"indicated"
for
the
patient.
As a
result,
patients
were
left
with
only
a
passive
role
in
the
decision-making
process.
It's
not
difficult
to
recognize
that
this
is
neither
a
wise
nor
a
desirable
way
to
make
any
major
decision.
Today,
consumers
of
medical
services
are
seeking
to
be
involved
in a
meaningful
way
in
the
health
care
decisions.
To
take
that
meaningful
role
and
to
make
a
truly
informed
decision,
patients
need
information
about:
-
their medical condition;
-
the risks and benefits of their various treatment options; and
-
their responsibility for actively participating in the treatment and recovery process.
Once
patients
are
empowered
with
this
information,
they
enter
into
a
"partnership"
of
shared
responsibility
with
their
health
care
professionals,
in
which
each
party
agrees
to
fulfill
certain
obligations.
In a
patient-centered
approach
to
medical
decision-making,
health
care
professionals
are
responsible
for:
-
establishing a diagnosis;
-
presenting appropriate treatment options, including their risks and benefits;
-
providing patient education;
-
providing the necessary technical skills; and
-
supporting you during your recovery.
In
this
process,
you
are
responsible
for:
-
taking a studious approach to learning about your medical condition;
-
weighing the risks and benefits of your various treatment options and accepting their outcomes;
-
developing realistic expectations;
-
making the final decision about which treatment option is best for you;
-
supporting your health care team by faithfully following their instructions; and
-
working at recovering from your condition, including making lifestyle changes if necessary.
Remember,
it
is
your
body
that
will
heal
itself
and
your
own
efforts
that
will
lead
to
your
recovery.
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