Decision Quality

Decision quality describes the agreement between what an informed patient really wants and the treatment he or she actually receives. Measuring decision quality helps shed light on ways to improve the decision making process and whether or not "good" treatment decisions are being applied in the practice of medicine.

Measuring decision quality can be a challenge. Researchers must assess:

• whether a patient has the knowledge to make an informed decision.
• whether or not the final decision reflects the patient's preferences.
• whether or not the patient is satisfied with the treatment decision made.