Quick reference guide to the DISCERN criteria
This quick guide should only be used once you are familiar with the full DISCERN questionnaire.
A high quality publication about treatment choices will:
- have explicit aims
- achieve its aims
- be relevant to consumers
- make sources of information explicit
- make date of information explicit
- be balanced and unbiased
- list additional sources of information
- refer to areas of uncertainty
- describe how treatment works
- describe the benefits of treatment
- describe the risks of treatment
- describe what would happen without treatment
- describe the effects of treatment choices on overall quality of life
- make it clear that there may be more than one possible treatment choice
- provide support for shared decision-making.