Israeli Researcher Urges Patients to Ask Three Key Questions Before Accepting Medical Treatment
Professor Talia Miron-Shatz, a Jerusalem-based researcher and consultant in healthcare decision-making, emphasizes the importance of clear communication and patient empowerment in medical settings. With a background in psychology from the Hebrew University and postdoctoral work at Princeton under Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, Miron-Shatz studies how patients make medical decisions and how language and trust influence these choices.
She highlights that medical jargon often confuses patients, citing an example where doctors told her mother-in-law there was "cardiac activity," which she clarified as meaning "without resuscitation, she will die." Miron-Shatz stresses the need to translate medical information into accessible language and to present risks in relatable terms, such as explaining a 3% risk as "3 out of 100 women like you will get the condition." Trust and personal connection with healthcare providers are also crucial for treatment adherence and patient comfort.
Her research includes studies showing that patients better understand and feel less anxious when risk information is framed concretely. She also found that patients value respectful, empathetic interactions more than just clinical outcomes. Miron-Shatz points out that artificial intelligence can help patients access information calmly at home, preparing them for medical consultations.
Regarding traumatic experiences like emergency cesarean sections, she advocates for doctors to involve patients by explaining procedures and asking for consent to restore a sense of control. To balance emotions and rationality in decision-making, she recommends a simple tool: whenever offered a treatment, patients should ask their doctor three questions about benefits, risks, and alternatives. This approach helps move beyond emotional reactions to informed choices.
Miron-Shatz shares a case where a man with prostate cancer markers avoided unnecessary surgery after learning about risks and alternatives through a friend’s intervention. She also advises patients to bring a companion to medical appointments to help listen and ask questions, as pain and stress can impair focus. If awarded a million-dollar grant, she would develop training for doctors to better support women facing unplanned cesarean deliveries.
