Description

This App is a Patient Decision Aid designedtohelp people with Depression make a decision as to thebesttreatment choice for them.

Traditionally people relied upon their HealthcareProfessionalsto make the decision regarding the most appropriatetreatment fortheir condition. However as medicine has progressedand the rangeof treatment options has increased it is no longeralways adecision based on the Healthcare Professionals preferenceonly.

Patient decision aids are a useful tool when there is adecisionto be made about medical advice from the HealthcareProfessionalbut also incorporating the patients’ preferences andconcerns.

In order to enable patients to reach a decision inpartnershipwith their Healthcare Professional it is important thatthey haveaccess to information about the different treatmentoptions andhave the opportunity to work through the information andevaluatethe risks and benefits when viewed in conjunction withtheirpersonal values and preferences.

This patient decision aid assists patients to progress throughitin an ordered fashion, having a number of distinct elements tothedecision making process which support the patient in reachingaprovisional decision which they can then discuss withtheirHealthcare Professional.

Firstly the aid provides information about Depression in ordertofacilitate better understanding of what is happening in the bodyasa result of this condition. The description is supported byananimation which demonstrates how the disease orconditionprogresses.

Treatment options for Depression are then displayed providingthepatient with an explanation of each of the availabletreatmentoptions which can be easily compared.

The third element of the decision aid then invites the patienttoanswer some questions which require him/her to consider what hisorher values and preferences are regarding the treatment oftheirDepression , when considered alongside the consequences ofeach ofthe treatment options, for example are they happy to haveanoperation in order to treat the condition, and how much arethesymptoms they experience upsetting them or interfering withtheireveryday activities?

Once the patient has considered these questions thepreferencesthey have entered are displayed back to them in theorder they haveinput and information regarding each of thepreferences isdisplayed alongside it so that the patient can fullyunderstandwhich of the treatment options is most likely to fulfiltheirpreferences.

Finally they are presented with the information they have saidistheir preferred treatment option and they are encouraged tothendiscuss that with their Healthcare Professional so thatanagreement can be reached and plans for the treatment made.