Helping patients make choices about breast reconstruction: a decision analysis approach.

ABSTRACT: Decision analysis can help breast reconstruction patients and their surgeons to methodically evaluate clinical alternatives and make hard decisions. The purpose of this article is to help plastic surgeons guide patients in making decisions though a case study in breast reconstruction. By making good decisions, patient outcomes may be improved. This article aims to illustrate decision analysis techniques from the patient perspective, with an emphasis on her values and preferences. The authors introduce normative decision-making through a fictional breast reconstruction patient and systematically build the decision basis to help her make a good decision. The authors broadly identify alternatives of breast reconstruction, propose types of outcomes that the patient should consider, discuss sou

SUBMITTER: Sun CS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4217136 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature