Taking part in decisions about my care

This part of the app provides:

Questions you can ask your healthcare professional. This will help to get your needs and views heard. It will also help you to ensure you understand the different options available to you.

Asking questions is a key part of shared decision-making

Shared decision-making means that you will work with a healthcare professional to:

Discuss and share information to help reach a decision about your care.
Know the benefits and risks of your care options. This includes looking at the option of no treatment at all.
Choose tests and treatments based on scientific evidence and on what matters to you.

You choose how much you want to engage in decision-making. Some people prefer not to take an active role in making decisions with their healthcare professionals.

This video explains more about shared decision-making

You can use the library of shared decision aids to help you to discuss with your healthcare professional the benefits and risks of different options for your care.

Knowing the right questions to ask can make all the difference.

Simply by being more involved, you’ll be able to make better decisions about your own care and treatment.

To help you get the most out of your next appointment, here are 4 key questions it’s worth remembering to ask. These are sometimes called the "BRAN" questions because they cover Benefits, Risks, Alternatives and do Nothing.

What are the Benefits of my treatment?

Your healthcare professional can explain why they think a treatment is best for you, compared to other options.

What are the Risks of my treatment?

Your healthcare professional will explain the risks or possible side effects of your treatment. They will also address any concerns you may have.

Any Alternative treatments I can try?

Your healthcare professional will be able to outline any alternative treatments that may be available to you.

What if I do Nothing?

Your healthcare professional can explain the risks of not doing your planned treatment.