News Release issued by
the COI News Distribution Service on 30 September 2011
Health Secretary
Andrew Lansley today officially launched a set of innovative
online tools that can help patients make informed decisions about
their healthcare.
Eight online Patient Decision Aids (PDAs), commissioned by NHS
East of England, give patients information on the pros and cons of
different treatment options available to them. As a key product of
the Right Care programme, part of the NHS’s work to improve
quality, innovation, productivity and prevention, these aids
personalise services for patients to make sure they get the right
treatment the first time.
Developed by NHS Direct and available on their website for
patients to use anywhere across England, the online tools help
patients learn more about their condition and the options for
tests and treatments on conditions such as cataracts and breast
cancer.
Patients are able to see what choices are available to them,
input their personal preferences and have an informed discussion
with their clinician about their options. These tools do not
replace a doctor’s clinical advice but are in addition to help
patients prepare for a consultation and any decisions they make afterwards.
Speaking at the launch event in Cambridgeshire
today, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said:
“I want the NHS to become a collaborative service, one where the
patient is an active participant in their own care, with a clear
voice saying ‘no decision about me, without me’.
“A modern NHS is one which is focused on the patient and empowers
them with a genuine choice about their future. Patients are the
greatest untapped resource in healthcare and I want the
conversation between doctor and patient to become a meeting
between two experts – the clinical expert and the expert on
themselves.
“These online Patient Decision Aids are an important step towards
helping patients make real, informed decision about their care.
They are part of the culture change within a personalised NHS that
puts patients in control of their health.”
Improving the quality of personalised services that patients
receive the first time means that efficiency savings can be
reinvested back into frontline care.
Dr Steven Laitner, General Practitioner and
National Clinical Lead for Shared Decision Making said:
“These tools have the potential to transform the lives of
patients. Patients will of course still want and need to discuss
treatment options with their clinicians but they will start from a
more informed, more empowered position. We should allow patients
to consider their own needs, personal values and priorities when
making a decision about their treatment.
“This approach also benefits clinicians. Better informed patients
can save time in the consultation and patients will be more likely
to receive treatments which they highly value. It’s really about
improving the experiences and outcomes for everyone involved.”
Jean Hardiman Smith, who suffers from arthritis of
the knee used the PDA to find out more about her condition:
“The Patient Decision Aid was like having a long, unhurried
session with a top knowledgeable specialist, with the extra
benefit of additional advice from the videos. The Patient Decision
Aid allowed me to learn more about my condition and the treatments
on offer - to be able to review this in the context of my own life
was hugely beneficial.”
Notes to Editors
1. For more information about the online Patient Decision Aids
please contact the NHS East of England press office on 01223
597545 or pressoffice@eoe.nhs.uk.
2. The eight online Patient Decision Aids can be found on the NHS
Direct website http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en/DecisionAids
and cover the following conditions:
• osteoarthritis of the knee*
• enlarged prostate*
• localised prostate cancer*
• Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) /Amniocentesis testing**
• breast cancer surgery choices**
• Prostate Cancer Screening**
• Osteoarthritis of the hip***
• cataract surgery***
* Adapted from existing DVD and booklet decision aids developed
by the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making (FIMDM) and
BUPA Health Dialog.
** Based on online Decision Support Interventions developed by
Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, in partnership with
Oxford, Sheffield and Swansea Universities, with funding from
Cancer Research UK, NHS Cancer Screening Programme.
*** Clinical content developed in collaboration with the BMJ
Publishing Group
3. To find out more about the Right Care QIPP workstream, please
visit: http://www.rightcare.nhs.uk
or call the DH press office on 020 7210 5221.
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk