Patients seeking information about their health are subject to a wide array of resources — including everything from websites to direct-to-consumer advertising to recommendations from family and friends. The proliferation of health information – once thought to be a critical component in patient empowerment – can confuse patients and may leave them worse off as they question if they’ve made the right decision.

New and better ways of informing patients will be required if they are to be truly empowered in the decision-making process. Through the Choosing Wisely® campaign, Consumer Reports is helping make complex health information easier to understand so that patients can engage in conversations with their health care providers about what care they really need.

Consumer Reports has partnered with the health care technology company iTriage to provide Choosing Wisely information to patients through its free app and website. Choosing Wisely lists from 17 medical societies, along with corresponding Consumer Reports patient-friendly materials on 160 conditions and procedures, are included in a section called “Do I Need This Test?”

Read more: ChoosingWisely.org