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Making Decisions When No Further Diagnostic Testing is Available
Benjamin Djulbegovic1, Iztok Hozo2
1Hematology Stewardship Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. djulbegov@musc.edu.
Cancer Treatment and Research
|October 3, 2023
Summary
This chapter explains how to combine evidence on treatment benefits and harms for rational decision-making, even with significant clinical uncertainty.
Area of Science:
- Medical Decision-Making
- Evidence Synthesis
- Clinical Uncertainty
Background:
- Rational decision-making in healthcare relies on integrating evidence regarding treatment efficacy and safety.
- Significant clinical uncertainty often complicates the interpretation and application of available evidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To illustrate a framework for integrating evidence on treatment benefits and harms.
- To support rational decision-making in the face of clinical uncertainty.
Main Methods:
- Synthesizing evidence from diverse sources on treatment outcomes.
- Applying principles of evidence-based medicine to clinical scenarios.
- Developing a structured approach to weigh benefits against harms.
Main Results:
- A method for integrating disparate evidence on treatment benefits and harms is presented.
- The framework facilitates informed choices even when data are incomplete or conflicting.
Conclusions:
- Integrating evidence on benefits and harms enables rational clinical decisions.
- This approach is valuable for navigating complex treatment choices under uncertainty.
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