2. Learn about the treatment

Before you decide about the treatment, you must learn about it. Ask the doctor or health-care provider questions like:

• What's the treatment called and why does the person need it?
• Who will treat them?
• When and where will they be treated?
• What are the side effects and how likely are they to happen?
• What are the risks of not getting the treatment?

Take notes so you can remember the answers. You can also ask the doctor or health-care provider if it's okay to record the conversation.

When you decide about a treatment, the person may not be well enough for you to explain it to them. But you can refer to your notes or the recording if you're able to talk to them later.

What you can decide

You must tell the doctor or health-care provider what you decide. And you must tell the person if they're well enough for you to explain your decision to them.

You might decide to:

• agree to the treatment,
• refuse the treatment, or
• stop the treatment if it's already started. 

Both the doctor or health-care provider and the person must go along with what you decide, even if they do not agree.

The doctor or health-care provider can refuse to follow your decision only if they think that you did not follow the rules. Read more in Step 5.