PDAs help people decide on healthcare options. They provide evidence-based information on the options available, along with likely outcomes, benefits, harms and uncertainties.
They should be used to inform conversations between a person and their healthcare professional, supporting them to make informed choices in line with their personal values and preferences.
Our process guide outlines how we develop our PDAs.
Our patient decision aids
How do I control my blood pressure? Lifestyle options and choice of medicines
If you have high blood pressure, your heart has to work harder to pump blood around your body. This means that you may be at risk of cardiovascular disease, for example a stroke or a heart attack.
Choosing between medical or surgical abortion before 14 weeks
Most women and girls who have an abortion can choose how it will be carried out. This decision aid can help you and your healthcare professional decide together which option is best for you.
Choosing between medical or surgical abortion from 14 weeks up to 24 weeks
Most women and girls who have an abortion can choose how it will be carried out. This decision aid can help you and your healthcare professional decide together which option is best for you.
Stroke: decompressive hemicraniectomy surgery in people over 60
When a person has a severe stroke, sometimes the brain can swell. The pressure inside their skull builds up and they can die. NICE says that an option for some people is surgery to ease the pressure by removing part of the skull.
Stroke: decompressive hemicraniectomy surgery in people under 60
When a person has a severe stroke, sometimes the brain can swell. The pressure inside their skull builds up and they can die. NICE says that an option for some people is surgery to ease the pressure by removing part of the skull.
Should I take a statin?
This decision aid is intended to help you to make up your mind whether or not to take a statin to help reduce your risk of having a heart attack or developing angina (together called coronary heart disease or CHD), or of having a stroke.
Intrabeam radiotherapy for treating early breast cancer
Use this decision aid to help you and your healthcare professional talk about whether or not to have Intrabeam radiotherapy for treating early breast cancer.
Option grid to help people make decisions about long term heartburn treatment
Use this decision aid to help you and your healthcare professional talk about how to treat heartburn that lasts longer than 4 weeks.
Reducing the chance of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) in premenopausal women who are not pregnant
Information to help women and their healthcare professionals discuss the options. Many women have UTIs from time to time but some women get a UTI several times a year. This is known as recurrent UTI.
Reducing the chance of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) in postmenopausal women
Information to help women and their healthcare professionals discuss the options. Many women have UTIs from time to time but some women get a UTI several times a year.
Cystitis: taking an antibiotic
Information to help women who are not pregnant discuss the options with their healthcare professionals. Cystitis is usually caused by bacteria (germs) from your gut getting into your bladder (also called lower urinary tract infection, UTI).
Antipsychotic medicines for treating agitation, aggression and distress in people living with dementia
Information to help people living with dementia, their family members and carers and their healthcare professionals discuss the options.
Enteral (tube) feeding for people living with severe dementia
Information to help people living with dementia, their family members and carers and their healthcare professionals discuss the options.
Hormone treatment for endometriosis symptoms – what are my options?
This decision aid can help you decide about hormone treatment to try to control your endometriosis symptoms. Your decision depends on several things that this information will help to explain.
Surgery for stress urinary incontinence
Stress urinary incontinence is when you leak urine accidentally, especially during exercise or when you cough, laugh or sneeze. This decision aid can help you and your surgeon decide together which type of surgery is best for you. You might also decide that you don’t want to have any surgery.
Surgery for uterine prolapse
Uterine prolapse happens when the uterus (womb) slips from its normal position and bulges or hangs down into the vagina. This can cause discomfort and problems with urination.
Surgery for vaginal vault prolapse
Vaginal vault prolapse happens when the top of the vagina (the vault) slips from its normal position and sags down. It sometimes happens after a hysterectomy (removal of the womb).
Treating complications from mesh used for pelvic organ prolapse – Options for women referred to specialist centres
This decision aid is for women who have complications caused by pelvic mesh that was used to treat their pelvic organ prolapse. Pelvic organ prolapse is when one or more of the organs in the pelvis, such as the vagina, uterus, bladder or bowel, slips down from its normal position.
Treating complications from mesh used for stress urinary incontinence – Options for women referred to specialist centres
This decision aid is for women who have complications caused by pelvic mesh that was used to treat their stress urinary incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence is when you leak urine accidentally, especially during exercise or when you cough, laugh or sneeze.
Lynch syndrome: should I take aspirin to reduce my chance of getting bowel cancer?
Having Lynch syndrome means you are more likely to get certain cancers, including bowel cancer. Taking aspirin every day can help reduce your chance of getting bowel cancer.
Bisphosphonates for treating osteoporosis
Everyone’s bones get weaker as they get older. In some people, this can lead to a condition called osteoporosis, in which bones fracture (break or crack) more easily. Bisphosphonates are medicines that can reduce the risk (chance) of fractures by strengthening bones.
Asthma inhalers and climate change
The most important thing is that a person’s asthma is kept as well controlled as possible, using inhalers that suit them well. This decision aid explains a person’s options if they would like to think about reducing the carbon footprint of their asthma treatment. It is intended to help discussions between people aged 12 and over and their healthcare professionals.
Taking a medicine to reduce the chance of developing breast cancer: postmenopausal women at moderately increased risk
This decision aid can help you to decide whether or not to take a medicine to reduce your chance of developing breast cancer. It is not intended for women who have had breast cancer in the past.
Taking a medicine to reduce the chance of developing breast cancer: postmenopausal women at high risk
This decision aid can help you to decide whether or not to take a medicine to reduce your chance of developing breast cancer. It is not intended for women who have had breast cancer in the past.
Taking tamoxifen to reduce the chance of developing breast cancer: premenopausal women at moderately increased risk
This decision aid can help you to decide whether or not to take a medicine called tamoxifen to reduce your chance of developing breast cancer. It is not intended for women who have had breast cancer in the past.
Taking tamoxifen to reduce the chance of developing breast cancer: premenopausal women at high risk
This decision aid can help you to decide whether or not to take a medicine called tamoxifen to reduce your chance of developing breast cancer. It is not intended for women who have had breast cancer in the past.
Type 2 diabetes: agreeing my blood glucose (HbA1c) target
If you have type 2 diabetes you may have higher levels of glucose (sugar) in your blood. NICE recommends that you and your diabetes team should agree a target HbA1c that you will aim for with their support. This decision aid will help you work out together what that target should be for you at the moment.
Should I stop my benzodiazepine or z-drug?
This decision aid can help if you have been prescribed a benzodiazepine or z-drug for anxiety or sleeping problems and you are thinking about stopping it or reducing the dose. It can help you talk about this with your healthcare professional.