Symbols to Know Words to Know
Change font size here: A A A

Hidradenitis Suppurativa Decision Aid

  • 1. Introduction

    Learn more about hidradenitis suppurativa.

  • 2. My Options

    Read about available treatments.

  • 3. My Skin

    Learn about your hidradenitis suppurativa.

  • 4. My Values

    Express what is important to you.

  • 5. My Trade-offs

    Compare treatments with your values.

  • 6. My Decision

    Your results and next steps.

My Values

Choosing the right option for you depends on what you find important in a treatment. Some things to think about are:

Risk of serious side effects: All treatment options (aside from no treatment) have risk of minor side effects (e.g. skin irritation). Some have risk of more serious side effects. A more effective treatment may have a higher risk.

Speed of results: Some treatments may show results faster than others.

Length of treatment: Some treatments are prescribed for longer times than others. Long term treatments might be needed to reduce the chance of your HS coming back. There is not yet a permanent cure for HS.

How well treatment works: Some treatments are better than others at clearing up HS. Remember, a more effective treatment may have a higher risk of serious side effects.

Cost: Some treatments cost more than others. Health plans may cover all, some, or none of the treatment costs. For example, lasers are often not covered by health insurance.

Convenience: Some treatments may be easier to use than others. Convenience may be affected if the treatment:

  • is quick or time consuming to use (e.g. swallowing a pill)
  • needs to be done by a professional (e.g. topicals applied at home; IV may require a visit to a clinic)

You may have other important values are not listed here. Think about these in the next question.

What values are most important to you when making your decision? Drag and drop ? each of these values into order:

Most important to consider
  • Risk of serious side effects
  • Speed of results
  • Convenience
  • Cost
  • How well treatment works
  • Length of treatment
Least important to consider
+ Add another value

Add Another Value

50

Select all that apply.

I am willing to try treatment that involves:

Keep these values in mind when you visit your doctor.

In the next step, we will compare your values to the treatment options for HS.

Back Continue

Last Updated: July 2019