Decision support tools, also called patient decision aids, support shared decision making by making treatment, care and support options explicit. They provide evidence-based information about the associated benefits/harms and help patients to consider what matters most to them in relation to the possible outcomes, including doing nothing.

Decision support tools: making a decision about a health condition

These decision support tools are designed to support shared decision making between people and a clinician. People may find they are useful before, during or between consultations depending on their care pathway. For more information about how this tool was created, please email england.shareddecisionmaking@nhs.net

Cardiovascular

• Atrial fibrillation: making a decision about further treatment for atrial fibrillation

Medical

• Bipolar disorder: is valproate the right treatment for me
• Epilepsy: is valproate the right epilepsy treatment for me

Ophthalmology

• Cataracts: making a decision about cataracts
• Open-angle glaucoma: making a decision about open-angle glaucoma
• Wet age-related macular degeneration: making a decision about wet age-related macular degeneration

Orthopedics

• Dupuytren’s contracture: making a decision about Dupuytren’s contracture
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: making a decision about carpal tunnel syndrome
• Hip osteoarthritis: making a decision about hip osteoarthritis
• Knee osteoarthritis: making a decision about knee osteoarthritis

Surgery

• Gallstones: making a decision about gallstones
• Inguinal hernia: making a decision about inguinal hernia
• Prostate: making a decision about enlarged prostate (BPE)
• Tonsillitis: making a decision about recurrent tonsillitis in children and adults
• Varicose veins: making a decision about treatment for varicose veins

Women’s health

• Heavy periods: making a decision about managing heavy periods

These tools have been developed in accordance with The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence standards framework for shared decision making support tools, including patient decision aids.

There is also a very helpful short video that introduces the MSK DSTs including their purpose and content.

We will continue to build on this suite of tools and publish as they become available.