Decision Analytic Techniques and Other Decision Processes

Clinical decision making is complex and guided by a number of factors including medical evidence, personal experience and intuition. “Decision analysis” is a process that provides a framework for examining the clinical scenario, synthesizing the available evidence, and providing a recommendation for action. Decision analysis techniques are increasingly used in clinical medicine to develop health policy, clinical algorithms, and for cost-effectiveness analysis. An overview of the techniques, interpretation, and application of decision analysis is presented here.