Patient Decision Aids
Patient decision aids are tools that help patients, care-givers and families become involved in decision making around difficult health care issues. They are designed to complement, rather than replace, the advice given by a health care practitioner.
In partnership with the the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, we have identified and assessed the quality of various patient decision aids available online and present these to you with our 5-star rating.
Recently rated web resources
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Palliative Care Provider Directory
Get Palliative CareThis resource helps you or a loved one locate palliaitve care in your area. Once you find a program that you are interested in, you should contact the program directly to confirm eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Get Palliative CareThis resource answers common questions about palliative care, such as what it is, when and where it can occur, and whether it is covered by insurance. Read this resource to find answers to questions you might have about palliative care.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, should I or my family member go to live with family or stay in the long-term care or nursing home?
OHRICOVID-19 poses significant health risks for seniors and those with compromised immune systems. For those living in long term care homes and nursing homes, the decision to move back home with friends and family can be difficult to make. It’s important to ensure that you will have proper care if you decide to move out. Use this decision aid to help you consider your options.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, should I go to live with family/friend or stay in my retirement/assisted living home?
OHRICOVID-19 poses significant health risks for seniors and those with compromised immune systems. For those living in assisted living and retirement homes, the decision to move back home with friends and family can be difficult to make. Use this decision aid to help you consider your options.
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Umbilical Hernia: Should I Have Surgery?
OHRIThis patient decision aid helps people with an umbilical hernia decide on whether to have surgery now or take a wait-and-see approach by comparing the benefits, risks, and side effects of both options.
Excluded websites
We don't rate every resource we find on the web that relates to optimal aging. In some cases, entire health-related websites are excluded from what to evaluate in detail. In order to be rated, a Web Resource must:
- be relevant to optimal aging;
- come from websites that are free to access; and
- not be directly funded by a company trying to sell you a product or service.
If you cannot find a website or Web Resource that you are looking for, check out our list of excluded websites. If you still can’t find it, let us know; we may have missed it!
DISCLAIMER: Web Resource Ratings are provided for informational purposes only and to facilitate discussions with your healthcare providers, family members, or informal care givers. They are not a substitute for advice from your own health care professionals. The Portal is not responsible for the content of external websites, nor is it an endorsement of that website or the site’s owners (or their products/services). The Web Resource Ratings may be reproduced for not-for-profit educational purposes only. Any other uses must be approved by the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (info@mcmasteroptimalaging.org).
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