Topic 3: Explain Options Without Steering by Accident
Once priorities are clear, present only the reasonable options relevant to the decision. Use the same categories and level of detail for each option so that wording does not quietly favor one. Explain both the expected benefit and the burden or risk of treatment, including what remains uncertain.
| Dimension | Plain-language discussion prompt |
| Likely benefit | Which outcomes may improve, by how much, and for how many patients? |
| Time and reassessment | When might change be noticed, and when will we decide whether it is working? |
| Important harms | Which common or serious risks matter here, and how are they reduced or monitored? |
| Treatment burden | How is it given, how often, and what visits, tests, wound care, or procedures are involved? |
| Access and fit | What might insurance, cost, travel, storage, work, or family plans change? |
| Alternatives | What are the reasonable alternatives, including continuing or pausing when medically acceptable? |
Avoid false precision: Do not promise a cure or imply that one option will work. State what success would mean for this patient, when response will be assessed, and what the next step will be if the result is inadequate.