Shared Decision Making Tools
In this step, we offer you a list of shared decision-making tools that are currently available online to help you with decision-making.
You can certainly share treatment decisions with your healthcare professional without using any of these tools. They might help you and your healthcare professional structure your discussions though. The tools range from simple leaflets to interactive support programs.
For each tool, we describe what it is, who it is for, in which language it is available and provide an online link directly to the tool. The list is not complete, because new tools are developed, updated and improved all the time. Older tools might disappear over time. Your healthcare professional might have their own tools for sharing decisions. Just because they are not on this list does not mean that they cannot help you.
Tools in English
Tools about sharing decisions in general
- What is it? Leaflet with background information and tips to share decisions
- Who is it for? All patients with cancer and caregivers
Making decisions about your care
- What is it? Overall guide with background information and tips to share decisions
- Who is it for? All patients
- What is it? Four questions to ask when talking about a shared decision
- Who is it for? All patients and healthcare professionals
Empowered Patient Decision Support Guide
- What is it? Form to gather information about a shared decision in one place
- Who is it for? All patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals
Ottawa Personal Decision Guide
- What is it? Checklist of important topics to think about
- Who is it for? All patients
- What is it? Three questions to ask your healthcare professional when talking about a shared decision
- Who is it for? All patients
Questions to ask your medical or radiation oncologist
- What is it? Checklist of questions to ask your healthcare professional
- Who is it for? All patients with cancer
Tools about sharing specific decisions
Intrabeam radiotherapy for treating early breast cancer
- What is it? Tool comparing external radiation therapy with intra-beam radiation therapy
- Who is it for? Patients with early stage breast cancer, caregivers and healthcare professionals
A Patchwork of Life – One Woman’s Story, For Women Making Breast Cancer Treatment Decisions
- What is it? Tool comparing breast conserving surgery with radiation therapy or mastectomy
- Who is it for? Women with early stage breast cancer
Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer – A Summary for Adults and Their Caregivers
- What is it? Leaflet providing information on external-beam radiation therapy
- Who is it for? Patients with head and neck cancer
Prostate Cancer: Should I Have Radiation or Surgery for Localized Prostate Cancer?
- What is it? Decision aid comparing radiation and surgery treatment options and help evaluate what fits best with your situation
- Who is it for? Patients with localised prostate cancer
Prostate Cancer – Decision aid for Early-stage Patients
- What is it? Decision aid comparing treatment options and help evaluate what fits best with your situation
- Who is it for? Patients with early stage prostate cancer
Tools in German
Zum Ausfüllen: eine Entscheidungshilfe
- What is it? Form to gather information about a shared decision in one place
- Who is it for? All patients
Brusterhalt oder Brustentfernung?
- What is it? Tool comparing breast conserving surgery with radiation therapy or mastectomy
- Who is it for? Women with breast cancer
Entscheidungshilfe Niedrig-Risiko-Prostatakrebs: Welche Möglichkeiten habe ich?
- What is it? Tool comparing surveillance, external-beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy and surgical removal of the prostrate
- Who is it for? Patients with low-risk prostate cancer
Tools in French
Cancer de la Prostate à un stade précoce – Outil d’aide à la décision de traitement
- What is it? Decision aid comparing treatment options and help evaluate what fits best with your situation
- Who is it for? Patients with early stage prostate cancer
Tools in Spanish
Herramienta de ayuda para la toma de decisiones compartida en cáncer de pulmón
- What is it? Tool providing information about surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and palliative treatments. The tool also includes a form to gather information about a shared decision in one place
- Who is it for? Patients with lung cancer
Bordando con Hilos de Seda – Decisiones para el Tratamiento del Cáncer del Seno
- What is it? Tool comparing breast conserving surgery with radiation therapy or mastectomy
- Who is it for? Women with early stage breast cancer
Tools in Dutch
- What is it? Three questions to ask your healthcare professional when talking about a shared decision
- Who is it for? All patients
- What is it? Website providing information on available treatments
- Who is it for? All patients
- What is it? Question prompt sheets to prepare for talking to your healthcare professional about a shared decision
- Who is it for? Patients with breast cancer
- What is it? Summary website offering decision aids on treatment options and aftercare
- Who is it for? Patients with breast cancer, lung cancer and thyroid cancer
Kiezen voor meer of minder straling bij de behandeling van prostaatkanker
- What is it? Decision aid comparing two radiation therapy treatment schedules
- Who is it for? Patients with prostate cancer
Keuzehulp voor mannen met gelokaliseerde prostaatkanker
- What is it? Tool comparing active surveillance, external-beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy and surgical removal of the prostrate
- Who is it for? Patients with localized prostate cancer
- What is it? Decision aid comparing surgery with radiation therapy
- Who is it for? Patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer.
- What is it? Tools that provide information on all treatment options
- Who is it for? Patients with breast cancer, high-risk bowel cancer, lung cancer and localised prostate cancer
We hope you enjoyed these steps on shared decision-making. We would appreciate it if you could let us know what you thought by completing a short optional survey. You can access the survey by clicking here.
An Introduction to Radiation Oncology: From Diagnosis to Survivorship
An Introduction to Radiation Oncology: From Diagnosis to Survivorship
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