Choosing a Treatment Related Links: Introduction Step 1: Learning about the Problem Medical Tests Getting the Diagnosis Getting a Second Opinion Looking at the Options What can you do to help the treatment work? Making Decisions about Surgery Ambulatory Surgery Centers Support Sources of Additional Information Back to: Medical Care in the U.S.

Not all treatments have been proven by research studies to work -- or to be the best treatment for what you have. "Clinical practice guidelines" can help doctors and patients make the right treatment choices for some conditions. Some of these guidelines are based on scientific evidence about which treatments work for certain conditions and which do not. Ask your doctor if there are evidence-based guidelines on treatments for your condition.

Ask about any books or special materials that can help you decide which treatment is best for you. For example, "shared decision-making programs" use video, audio, and computer graphics to help patients make decisions based on science and on their own values and preferences. Self-help groups, patient organizations (such as the American Cancer Society and the American Diabetes Association), other Internet sites (such as Healthfinder), and your library are other sources of information.

All treatments have benefits and risks. To learn more about them you may want to ask your doctor:

Once you have the answers to these questions, you might want to make a chart of "Benefits and Risks" or "Pros and Cons" to help you decide if the treatment is right for you. Here is a sample chart: