What is one way to keep patients informed about their treatment options?

Providing patients with brochures during their visit is an effective way to keep them informed about their treatment options. Brochures serve as a tangible resource that outlines various treatment modalities, benefits, risks, and other relevant details in an easy-to-understand format. This allows patients to take the information home, review it at their convenience, and discuss it with family or caregivers, enhancing their understanding and involvement in their own care decisions.

The option of limiting communication to only essential information does not promote comprehensive understanding and can lead to patient confusion or apprehension regarding their treatment. Using checklists to standardize information distribution can improve efficiency, but it may not address individual patient needs or preferences, potentially missing important details that would help them make informed decisions. Proposing a single treatment option without alternatives restricts the patient's ability to understand all available choices and could hinder shared decision-making, which is critical in patient-centered care.