As a patient, you have the final say over how what medical care you want to receive or not. The best choices about your care are often made jointly between you and your providers. Health professionals have medical expertise to diagnose and treat your symptoms, and you know your body and preferences best.
Use the resources below to help you approach decisions about medical care and assess options.
Choosing Wisely has a robust set of patient-friendly resources to help you decide whether or not you need certain tests, procedures and medications.
Use the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Healthwise® Health Encyclopedia to search for information about common health issues and treatment options, and to receive recommendations based on the urgency of your symptoms.
Use these worksheets to help you think through — and remember — what questions to ask at your doctor’s appointment when making a medical decision.
The Ottawa Personal Decision Guide will help you make important health decisions, think through your needs, and plan next steps.
Healthwise is a nonprofit organization that educates policymakers and health care professionals on shared decision making and how to improve care quality and patient satisfaction.