scholarly journals The impact of health literacy-sensitive design and heart age in a cardiovascular disease prevention decision aid: randomised controlled trial and end user testing

Author(s):  
Carissa Bonner ◽  
Carys Batcup ◽  
Julie Ayre ◽  
Erin Cvejic ◽  
Lyndal Trevena ◽  
...  

Introduction: Shared decision making is as an essential principle for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, where asymptomatic people are considering lifelong medication and lifestyle changes. This project aimed to develop and evaluate the first literacy-sensitive CVD prevention decision aid (DA) developed for people with low health literacy, and investigate the impact of literacy-sensitive design and heart age. Methods: We developed the standard DA based on international standards. The literacy-sensitive version included simple language, supporting images, white space and a lifestyle action plan. A randomised trial included 859 people aged 45-74 using a 3 (DA: standard, literacy-sensitive, control) x 2 (heart age: heart age + percentage risk, percentage risk only) factorial design, with outcomes including prevention intentions/behaviours, gist/verbatim knowledge of risk, credibility, emotional response and decisional conflict. We iteratively improved the literacy-sensitive version based on end user testing interviews with 20 people with varying health literacy levels. Results: Immediately post-intervention (n=859), there were no differences between the DA groups on any outcome. The heart age group was less likely to have a positive emotional response, perceived the message as less credible, and had higher gist/verbatim knowledge of heart age risk but not percentage risk. After 4 weeks (n=596), the DA groups had better gist knowledge of percentage risk than control. The literacy-sensitive decision aid group had higher fruit consumption, and the standard decision aid group had better verbatim knowledge of percentage risk. Verbatim knowledge was higher for heart age than percentage risk amongst those who received both. Discussion: The literacy-sensitive DA resulted in increased knowledge and lifestyle change for participants with varying health literacy levels and CVD risk results. Adding heart age did not increase lifestyle change intentions or behaviour but did affect psychological outcomes, consistent with previous findings. Key words: decision aids, shared decision making, risk communication, heart age, cardiovascular disease prevention, behaviour change, health literacy MeSH Terms: Health Literacy, Cardiovascular Diseases, Decision Making (Shared), Life Style, Decision Support Techniques  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carissa Bonner ◽  
Carys Batcup ◽  
Julie Ayre ◽  
Erin Cvejic ◽  
Lyndal Trevena ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Shared decision making is as an essential principle for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, where asymptomatic people are considering lifelong medication and lifestyle changes. OBJECTIVE This project aimed to develop and evaluate the first literacy-sensitive CVD prevention decision aid (DA) developed for people with low health literacy, and investigate the impact of literacy-sensitive design and heart age. METHODS We developed the standard DA based on international standards. The standard DA was based on our existing GP decision aid; the literacy-sensitive DA included simple language, supporting images, white space and a lifestyle action plan; the control DA used Heart Foundation materials. A randomised trial included 859 people aged 45-74 using a 3 (DA: standard, literacy-sensitive, control) x 2 (heart age: heart age + percentage risk, percentage risk only) factorial design, with outcomes including prevention intentions/behaviours, gist/verbatim knowledge of risk, credibility, emotional response and decisional conflict. We iteratively improved the literacy-sensitive version based on end user testing interviews with 20 people with varying health literacy levels. RESULTS Immediately post-intervention (n=859), there were no differences between the DA groups on any outcome. The heart age group was less likely to have a positive emotional response, perceived the message as less credible, and had higher gist/verbatim knowledge of heart age risk but not percentage risk. After 4 weeks (n=596), the DA groups had better gist knowledge of percentage risk than control. The literacy-sensitive decision aid group had higher fruit consumption, and the standard decision aid group had better verbatim knowledge of percentage risk. Verbatim knowledge was higher for heart age than percentage risk amongst those who received both. CONCLUSIONS The literacy-sensitive DA resulted in increased knowledge and lifestyle change for participants with varying health literacy levels and CVD risk results. Adding heart age did not increase lifestyle change intentions or behaviour but did affect psychological outcomes, consistent with previous findings. CLINICALTRIAL The trial protocol was pre-registered at ANZCTR (Trial number ACTRN12620000806965).


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea R Mitchell ◽  
Grace Venechuk ◽  
Larry A Allen ◽  
Dan D Matlock ◽  
Miranda Moore ◽  
...  

Background: Decision aids frequently focus on decisions that are preference-sensitive due to an absence of superior medical option or qualitative differences in treatments. Out of pocket cost can also make decisions preference-sensitive. However, cost is infrequently discussed with patients, and cost has not typically been considered in developing approaches to shared decision-making or decision aids. Determining a therapy’s value to a patient requires an individualized assessment of both benefits and cost. A decision aid addressing cost for sacubitril-valsartan in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) was developed because this medication has clear medical benefits but can entail appreciable out-of-pocket cost. Objective: To explore patients’ perspectives on a decision aid for sacubitril-valsartan in HFrEF. Methods: Twenty adults, ages 32-73, with HFrEF who met general eligibility for sacubitril-valsartan were recruited from outpatient HF clinics and inpatient services at 2 geographically-distinct academic health systems. In-depth interviews were conducted by trained interviewers using a semi-structured guide after patients reviewed the decision aid. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed; qualitative descriptive analysis was conducted using a template analytic method. Results: Participants confirmed that cost was relevant to this decision and that cost discussions with clinicians are infrequent but welcomed. Participants cited multiple ways that this decision aid could be helpful beyond informing a choice; these included serving as a conversation starter, helping inform questions, and serving as a reference later. The decision aid seemed balanced; several participants felt that it was promotional, while others wanted a more “positive” presentation. Participants valued the display of benefits of sacubitril-valsartan but had variable views about how to apply data to themselves and heterogenous interpretations of a 3% absolute reduction in mortality over 2 years. None felt this benefit was overwhelming; about half felt it was very small. The decision aid incorporated a novel “gist statement” to contextualize benefits and counter tendencies to dismiss this mortality reduction as trivial. Several participants liked this statement; few had strong impressions. Conclusion: Out of pocket cost should be part of shared decision-making. These data suggest patients are receptive to inclusion of cost in decision aids and that a “middle ground” between being promotional and negative may exist. The data, however, raise concerns regarding potential dismissal of clinically meaningful benefits and illustrate challenges identifying appropriate contextualizing language. The impact of various framings warrants further study, as does integration of decision aids with patient-specific out-of-pocket cost information during clinical encounters.


2017 ◽  
pp. 351-368
Author(s):  
Geri Lynn Baumblatt

In this chapter the author describes the challenges of engaging and communicating with patients and how technology can improve communication, elicit honest patient disclosure, and create more productive conversation and help patients engage and partner in their care. The author will also discuss how research with multimedia programs reveals it can help reduce anxiety, improve knowledge, help low health literacy audiences, and contribute to improved outcomes. This chapter will also examine how multimedia decision aid programs can help patients understand their options and complex risk information, while helping them consider their values and preferences so they can truly engage in shared decision making.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 87-87
Author(s):  
Michael Austin Brooks ◽  
Anita Misra-Hebert ◽  
Alexander Zajichek ◽  
Sigrid V. Carlsson ◽  
Jonas Hugosson ◽  
...  

87 Background: We previously developed screening nomograms to predict 15-year risk of all-cause mortality, prostate cancer diagnosis, and prostate cancer mortality, and incorporated them into a graphical patient decision aid (PtDA). Our objective was to prospectively recruit primary care patients interested in shared-decision making regarding prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening and assess the impact of individualized counseling using our new PtDA. Methods: 50 patients from one internal medicine practice were enrolled in a single-arm sequential trial design, with face-to-face clinician counseling and questionnaires. Eligibility criteria included men age 50-69 years old and life expectancy > 10 years. Patients were excluded for a personal history of prostate cancer or PSA screening within the prior year. Participants completed baseline questionnaires regarding prior PSA testing, demographic information, health literacy, and the Control Preferences Scale (CPS). They then received standardized counseling (based on large trial and epidemiologic data) regarding PSA screening, followed by individualized counseling using our new PtDA. Participants then made a screening decision, and completed a post decision questionnaire including a Decisional Conflict Scale. Results: The median age was 60 (IQR 54; 65). 41 (82%) had a prior PSA test, while 9 (18%) had not. 42 (84%) of participants received some education beyond high school, 41 (82%) demonstrated high health literacy, and 45 (90%) desired to have an active role in decision-making based on the CPS. After undergoing counseling, 34 (68%) participants chose to undergo initial or repeat PSA screening, 8 (16%) chose against future screening, and 8 (16%) remained uncertain. 45 (90%) participants found individualized counseling using the PtDA more useful than standardized counseling. Finally, patients reported reduced decisional conflict compared to historical controls (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Our process of standardized counseling followed by individualized counseling using our new PtDA was effective in reducing decisional conflict. The majority of participants found the PtDA more useful for decision making than standardized counseling. Clinical trial information: NCT03387527.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e025173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carissa Bonner ◽  
Pinika Patel ◽  
Michael Anthony Fajardo ◽  
Ruixuan Zhuang ◽  
Lyndal Trevena

ObjectivesRecent guideline changes for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention medication have resulted in calls to implement shared decision-making rather than arbitrary treatment thresholds. Less attention has been paid to existing tools that could facilitate this. Decision aids are well-established tools that enable shared decision-making and have been shown to improve CVD prevention adherence. However, it is unknown how many CVD decision aids are publicly available for patients online, what their quality is like and whether they are suitable for patients with lower health literacy, for whom the burden of CVD is greatest. This study aimed to identify and evaluate all English language, publicly available online CVD prevention decision aids.DesignSystematic review of public websites in August to November 2016 using an environmental scan methodology, with updated evaluation in April 2018. The decision aids were evaluated based on: (1) suitability for low health literacy populations (understandability, actionability and readability); and (2) International Patient Decision Aids Standards (IPDAS).Primary outcome measuresUnderstandability and actionability using the validated Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printed Materials (PEMAT-P scale), readability using Gunning–Fog and Flesch–Kincaid indices and quality using IPDAS V.3 and V.4.ResultsA total of 25 unique decision aids were identified. On the PEMAT-P scale, the decision aids scored well on understandability (mean 87%) but not on actionability (mean 61%). Readability was also higher than recommended levels (mean Gunning–Fog index=10.1; suitable for grade 10 students). Four decision aids met criteria to be considered a decision aid (ie, met IPDAS qualifying criteria) and one sufficiently minimised major bias (ie, met IPDAS certification criteria).ConclusionsPublicly available CVD prevention decision aids are not suitable for low literacy populations and only one met international standards for certification. Given that patients with lower health literacy are at increased risk of CVD, this urgently needs to be addressed.


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