Research Nugget
 More Treatment Options, More Details: How well do we remember?
Have you ever come home from a doctor appointment and couldn’t remember what treatment you were offered, or why? You’re not alone! Many people don’t remember medical information. But research shows that when patients are able to recall information about a treatment, they stick with it and have better outcomes.
When you begin to explore PTSD treatments, it can be hard to wrap your head around all of the details. Having options is great; learning what is different about each treatment can be a lot of work.
The PTSD Treatment Decision Aid was built to help you learn about and compare treatment options. Research helped the design team make choices about how to best present treatment information. In one study, 887 adults were given information about 7 PTSD treatment options. Both Veterans and civilians (including men and women) were included.
After reading treatment descriptions, less than half of those in the study could report on how well each treatment worked (called “effectiveness”). The table below shows how well participants were able to describe a treatment and just over half did so with at least some correct information.
Because it is important for a patient to know about treatment details, the National Center offers tools to help you learn about and remember this information. The PTSD Treatment Decision Aid provides information about the most effective PTSD treatments using animated videos, clinician interviews, Veteran quotes, text information, and a treatment comparison chart. This online tool also allows you to print out a summary to share with your doctor. Together, you can make the best treatment decision for you.
And remember, you deserve to understand your treatment options. If you don’t remember what a provider tells you, you can ask!”
Read the article led by a team of National Center for PTSD researchers:
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