Communicating the risk of side effects to rheumatic patients

Abstract

When proposing a new therapy, rheumatologists must inform patients of a range of therapeutic options and support them towards making an informed decision. This article introduces definitions of equipoise and a good decision, contrasts persuasion from informed patient choice, and discussed the effects of patient characteristics including cognition on decision making. It also describes and offers examples of techniques and visual formats utilized in patient decision aids to present risk estimates to reduce cognitive bias and maximize patient comprehension.