Knowing what is best for you

Making decisions about tests, treatment and care can be hard. You may need to think about short and long term outcomes. Health care decisions can be stressful and upsetting.

Information about options helps you to know more. Knowledge helps you to make decisions that are right for you to have better health.

The Ask Share Know questions (PDF, 115Kb) help you to get the information you need. Sometimes when you are upset or worried it is hard to follow new information. Using the questions, helps you to be ready for the answer.

When you ask…

What are my options?

You can expect to hear something like…

We need to talk about two things. An anti-depressant or I am wondering what you think about counselling.

What we can do for your earache is start some antibiotics or continue with good pain medicine, like paracetamol.

What are the possible benefits and harms of those options?

You can expect to hear something like…

Anti-depressants can lift your mood in a few weeks. But people can start to forget things. They can feel or be sick or have loose bowels (diarrhoea).

If we go with antibiotics, the infection may get better sooner. The downside (harm) is they can cause a rash, tummy pain or diarrhoea.

How likely are each of those benefits and harms to happen to me?

You can expect to hear something like…

The side-effects (harms) of anti-depressants happen in about 20% or 20 people out of 100.

Antibiotics can make an ear infection get better quicker. 5% or 5 out of 100 children will get the side effects (harms) we talked about. The rash, tummy pain or diarrhoea.

Knowing how likely the benefits and harms are is important.

Imagine you have ear pain. Is it an infection from a virus or bug (bacteria)? Antibiotics have almost no benefit for a viral infection.

Imagine you have knee pain and you may need knee surgery. There may be lifestyle changes you can make so the surgery is a success.

If you are heavy or overweight, losing some weight and building muscle may mean you don’t need the surgery.

Knowing these things helps you make a decision that is right for you. You can get this information by asking questions and talking with health professionals. Sharing information about your lifestyle, preferences and goals helps you make the best decision for you.

Strategies to help you recall and use health care information to make decisions.

If you know you need to make a health care decision take someone with you to your appointment. A second set of ears can be useful.

If you don’t want someone or don’t have someone to come with you, these tips can be helpful:

  • Use the Ask Share Know questions (PDF, 115Kb)
  • Ask to stop or pause a few times to check you know (understand) what the health professional is saying.
  • If you are unclear, ask them to say it again in different way, or to use simpler words.
  • Health professionals often use words most people do not understand. It is ok to say you do not know what these words mean.
  • Ask to record the conversation you have with the doctor or nurse. People who do this find it useful to remember what you talked about or what you decide to do. Most smart phones are able to record.
  • Take a pen and paper with you. You can write the answers yourself or ask the health professional to do that for you. Download and print the Ask Share Know summary sheet (PDF, 171Kb).