Values in Care

    What would you like the people caring for you to understand?

    Write a line or two, in your own words. Save it, choose what to bring, or leave it. Skip anything.

    Start with one thought

    Look around firstPrepare for a specific decisionNeed help right now?

    No account. Saved thoughts stay in this browser, or only in this tab if you choose.

    Chaplain, clinician or care team?

    Open the conversation workspaceAbout the professional tools

    An example

    One thought

    What makes an ordinary day feel worthwhile?

    “Being able to sit outside with my son.”

    An optional next question

    Is there anything about your care that could help make that possible?

    Yours stays in your words. Saving and inclusion in a note are your choices.

    How it works

    1. Write one thought.

      Answer a question, or write what is on your mind. Skip anything.

    2. Save it if you want.

      Choose this device or this tab. Nothing is saved until you ask.

    3. Choose what goes in your note.

      Include only what you choose in a local note to copy, download or print. Nothing is sent.

    4. Come back when you want.

      Revisit a saved thought. Change it, or explore a specific decision, faith and meaning, or sources.

    Explore care, beliefs, and support

    Decisions this covers

    All care dimensions
    Testing & screeningWhether to test, how much uncertainty to accept, and what could follow from a result.MedicationExpected benefit, side effects, monitoring, daily burden, cost, and alternatives.TreatmentCompare likely benefit, burden, uncertainty, time, and effects on everyday life.Procedure or surgeryRisk, recovery, function, time away from responsibilities, and reasonable alternatives.Chronic careBalance disease control with treatment workload, independence, participation, and life goals.Mental healthSymptoms, function, therapy or medication preferences, privacy, side effects, and support.Pregnancy, fertility & reproductive careGoals, probabilities, bodily burden, family context, future fertility, and values that matter.Pediatric & family careChild wellbeing, developmental stage, family roles, treatment burden, and emerging autonomy.

    What counts as a value

    Being able to drive. Not missing a grandchild's wedding. Staying clear-headed. Cost. Your faith, if you have one.

    Explore what matters to you
    • Living longer
    • Symptoms & comfort
    • Function & participation
    • Thinking clearly
    • Independence, support & place
    • Time
    • Treatment burden
    • Work, school & responsibilities
    • Caring for others
    • Family & relationships

    What to expect

    It does not choose a treatment for you. It is not a validated patient decision aid.

    MethodologyEvidenceLimitationsPrivacy
    • Clinical and cultural claims link to their source and say whether anyone independent has reviewed them.
    • Nothing is inferred from your diagnosis or background. You write it.
    • Priorities change. Come back and change yours.
    • This helps you prepare. It does not replace your care team's judgment or your consent.

    Where the sources are strongest

    Serious illness, palliative care, spiritual care, and caregiving have the most cited sources. Coverage varies. Each page explains its sources and gaps.

    Serious-illness & end-of-life evidence Spiritual care

    Common questions

    What is Values in Care?

    An independent, free educational tool. Reflect in your own words, save if you want, choose what to bring to a conversation, and revisit later. Decision guides, faith and meaning, sources, and care-team tools are optional next steps.

    Is Values in Care only for palliative care or end-of-life decisions?

    No. The evidence is deepest in serious illness, but the tools work for testing, medications, treatments, procedures, chronic care, mental health, reproductive care, pediatrics, aging and disability, and acute care.

    Does Values in Care tell me which treatment to choose?

    No. You write what matters and choose what to bring. A recommendation requires your treating team and evidence for your condition. Nothing here is medical advice or a validated patient decision aid.

    What is the guide based on?

    Published work on shared decision-making and patient decision aids: AHRQ, IPDAS, NICE, the Ottawa Decision Support Framework, and the 2024 Cochrane review. This guide is not a validated patient decision aid. The Methodology page explains the difference.

    Does Values in Care assume my religion, culture, or identity determines my preferences?

    No. Faith, culture and identity are optional context. Nothing is inferred from them. The tradition and worldview pages carry questions to ask, not answers about a person.

    For care teams

    A chaplain, nurse, social worker or physician can help a person say what matters, check the wording with them, and pass on only what they choose to share.

    How the care-team workspace worksResearch and pilotsReview or correct a claim