Amputation Decision Aid
The Amputation Decision Aid is a resource written specifically for people facing the prospect of partial foot amputation due to peripheral arterial disease. High-quality decision aids include unbiased information about the different options as well as evidence about the likely outcomes and risks. Armed with good information, we hope to empower people to be active participants in decisions about their healthcare.
What characterises a high-quality decision aid?
High-quality decision aids are developed in accord with the International Patient Decision Aid Standards. These standards help ensure that developers use well-established methods that ensure the right topics have been included, that information is easily understood by a lay audience, and rigorously tested with the very people who’ll use the decision aid. Here are some of the things that distinguish our Amputation Decision Aid.
Well researched
The Amputation Decision Aid is backed by a high-quality systematic review of the research evidence. Systematic reviews employ rigorous methods to gather, appraise and summarise the best available evidence.
Our systematic review was specifically built to include topics that healthcare professionals and people living with amputation told us were important to make difficult decisions about amputation surgery.
Infographics
To aid understanding and visual interest, infographics are used extensively throughout the Amputation Decision Aid. Infographics are a highly effective way to present complex information in simple ways that are easily understood.
The infographics have been reviewed by healthcare professionals and people living with amputation to ensure the take-home message is clear.
Simple statistics
Sometimes the best way to compare the likely outcomes is with simple statistics.
In these cases, we’ve chosen simple measures - such as percentages - that are easily understood. While we’ve deliberately omitted some of the detail to help keep things simple, it is important that you speak with a healthcare professional who can contextualise these data given an understanding of your individual risk factors.
User reviewed
The Amputation Decision Aid has been reviewed by healthcare professionals including surgeons, high-risk foot specialists and rehabilitation doctors, as well as people living in the community with lower limb amputation.
This preliminary review helped to ensure that the right topics were included, and that information is both accurate and easily understood.
Simple language
We’ve worked with healthcare professionals and people living in the community with amputation to ensure that the language is easy to understand.
We’ve defined outcomes to make them easily understood, but also accurate with the way these outcomes are measured.
Promotes reflection
High-quality decision aids help to promote reflection by asking questions such as, “If you chose a partial foot amputation, what would be your greatest concern? Would these concerns be the same if you had a below-knee amputation?”
Irrespective of the answer, the decision aid helps to promote further conversation, and support people as they deliberate on such a difficult decision.