Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Feb 2:2:315-22.
doi: 10.2147/ppa.s4302.

Design and development of a decision aid to enhance shared decision making by patients with an asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm

Dirk T Ubbink  1 , Anouk M Knops, Sjaak Molenaar, Astrid Goossens
Affiliations

Design and development of a decision aid to enhance shared decision making by patients with an asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm

Dirk T Ubbink et al. Patient Prefer Adherence. .

Abstract

Objective: To design, develop, and evaluate an evidence-based decision aid (DA) for patients with an asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) to inform them about the pros and cons of their treatment options (ie, surgery or watchful observation) and to help them make a shared decision.

Methods: A multidisciplinary team defined criteria for the desired DA as to design, medical content and functionality, particularly for elderly users. Development was according to the international standard (IPDAS). Fifteen patients with an AAA, who were either treated or not yet treated, evaluated the tool.

Results: A DA was developed to offer information about the disease, the risks and benefits of surgical treatment and watchful observation, and the individual possibilities and threats based on the patient's aneurysm diameter and risk profile. The DA was improved and judged favorably by physicians and patients.

Conclusion: This evidence-based DA for AAA patients, developed according to IPDAS criteria, is likely to be a simple, user-friendly tool to offer patients evidence-based information about the pros and cons of treatment options for AAA, to improve patients' understanding of the disease and treatment options, and may support decision making based on individual values.

Keywords: abdominal aortic aneurysm; decision making; decision support techniques; program development; research design.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Sample page from the decision aid illustrating the pathologic anatomy of the abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Sample page in the decision aid depicting the risk of rupture in relation to the aneurysm diameter. Additional spoken information is provided by clicking the speaker button.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Various graphical presentations provided of the probabilities of benefit and harm involved in surgical AAA treatment to suit patient preferences, in clockwise order: natural frequency trees, bars, percentages, and visual aids.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Sample page from the decision aid concerning the comparison of surgery versus watchful observation and assessment of the patients’ individual opinion about their anxiety and considerations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Baas AF, Janssen KJ, Prinssen M, et al. The Glasgow Aneurysm Score as a tool to predict 30-day and 2-year mortality in the patients from the Dutch Randomized Endovascular Aneurysm Management trial. J Vasc Surg. 2008;47:277–81. - PubMed
    1. Biancari F, Hobo R, Juvonen T. Glasgow Aneurysm Score predicts survival after endovascular stenting of abdominal aortic aneurysm in patients from the EUROSTAR registry. Br J Surg. 2006;93:191–4. - PubMed
    1. Biancari F, Leo E, Ylönen K, et al. Value of the Glasgow Aneurysm Score in predicting the immediate and long-term outcome after elective open repair of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm. Br J Surg. 2993;90:838–44. - PubMed
    1. Blankensteijn JD, de Jong SE, Prinssen M, et al. Two-year outcomes after conventional or endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms. N Engl J Med. 2005;352:2398–405. - PubMed
    1. Charles C, Gafni A, Whelan T. Decision-making in the physician-patient encounter: revisiting the shared treatment decision-making model. Soc Sci Med. 1999;49:651–61. - PubMed