Advantages and disadvantages

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Always ask yourself whether the possible advantages of an intervention outweigh the disadvantages.

Decisions about whether or not to use an intervention should be informed by the balance between the potential benefits and the potential harms, costs and other advantages and disadvantages of the intervention. This balance often depends on the baseline risk (i.e. the likelihood of a subject experiencing an undesirable event), or on the severity of the problems. The balance between the advantages and disadvantages of an intervention is more likely to favour using an intervention for subjects with a higher baseline risk or more severe problems. The balance also depends on how much people value (how much weight they give to) the advantages and disadvantages. Different people may value outcomes differently and sometimes make different decisions because of this.

REMEMBER: Always consider the balance between advantages and disadvantages of interventions, taking into consideration the baseline risk or the severity of the problem.