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.