What We’ll Cover:

• Why your choices matter in your health
• What informed decisions mean
• How we support you to make choices
• Working together on your care

Why your choices matter

Your health is personal. You should feel in control at every stage of your care. Your treatment should reflect your needs, your goals, and what feels right for you. 

Healthcare professionals are medical experts, but they won’t immediately know your beliefs, values, goals or preferences unless you share them.

A healthcare professional will explain your options and provide clear information but ultimately, decisions about your care will be made with you, not for you. 

For example, you might need to decide:

• Whether a lower-carbohydrate or more balanced eating plan suits you best
• If medication feels right for you at this stage
• How much support you want from your clinician or mentoring group

It’s okay to feel unsure and take time to decide. There is no single “right” choice - the best option is the one that works for you. We also understand that life evolves. As such, you can change your mind about a decision at any time if it no longer fits your life. 

What is an informed decision

As healthcare professionals, we want to work with you so you understand your options. This helps you to make informed decisions about your care.

An informed decision means you:

• Understand your options
• Know the possible benefits and risks 
• Have thought about what would help you most 
• Have considered what is realistic for you and your lifestyle 

Our aim is to help you feel confident managing your health in a way that works for you. 

How we support you to make your own choices

We don’t expect you to manage everything on your own. This is called shared decision making. It means you and your healthcare professional work together to make decisions about your care. 

We can also make adjustments to support you, for example, explaining things in a different way, offering extra support, or giving you more time to decide.

We will:

• Give you clear, simple information about your options
• Give you time to ask questions 
• Answer your questions honestly
• Support you without pressure or judgement
• Respect your choices

Working together on your care

Your clinician will work with you to choose the level of help that feels right for you. This might change over time as your needs change.

You can change your mind at any time or ask for more support if you need it. 

The aim is to find an approach that feels realistic, supportive, and safe for you. 

You don’t need to have all the answers. But it can help to:

• Ask questions if something isn’t clear
• Share what feels realistic for you
• Speak up if something doesn’t feel right

This helps us support you in the best way possible.

Summary

Your care should feel collaborative. We work with you to make decisions that feel right for your health, your goals, and your circumstances.

You don’t have to do this alone — support is there when you need it. With the right support, you can feel more confident and in control of your health over time.