What’s the best way to explain a calculator’s results to a patient?

This is often the most challenging aspect of using a calculator! For example, sometimes a score recommends against a CT scan after head trauma, while a patient or family may seem to have the expectation of getting imaging. This is a true test of bedside manner: meeting the challenge of reassuring the individual patient and family through discussion instead of an unnecessary test.

Such discussions fall closely within a specific study of academic medicine often referred to as shared decision making (SDM). MDCalc is working with some of the top SDM academic experts to build tools that help assist our physicians to have such conversations with patients and families (MDCalc Decision Aids are currently in beta, on the Canadian Head CT Rule and PECARN Head Trauma Rule).