Exploring the relationship between patients’ information preference style and knowledge acquisition process in a computerized patient decision aid randomized controlled trial

Abstract

BackgroundWe have shown in a randomized controlled trial that a computerized patient decision aid (P-DA) improves medical knowledge and reduces decisional conflict, in early stage papillary thyroid cancer patients considering adjuvant radioactive iodine treatment. Our objectives were to examine the relationship between participants’ baseline information preference style and the following: 1) quantity of detailed information obtained within the P-DA, and 2) medical knowledge.MethodsWe randomized participants to exposure to a one-time viewing of a computerized P-DA (with usual care) or usual care alone. In pre-planned secondary analyses, we examined the relationship between information preference style (Miller Behavioural Style Scale, including respective monitoring [information seeking preference] and blunting [information avoidance preference] subscale scores) and the following: 1) the quantity of detailed information obtained from the P-DA (number of supplemental information clicks), and 2) medical knowledge. Spearman correlation values were calculated to quantify relationships, in the entire study population and respective study arms.ResultsIn the 37 P-DA users, high monitoring information preference was moderately positively correlated with higher frequency of detailed information acquisition in the P-DA (r = 0.414, p = 0.011). The monitoring subscale score weakly correlated with increased medical knowledge in the entire study population (r = 0.268, p = 0.021, N = 74), but not in the respective study arms. There were no significant associations with the blunting subscale score.ConclusionsIndividual variability in information preferences may affect the process of information acquisition from computerized P-DA’s. More research is needed to understand how individual information preferences may impact medical knowledge acquisition and decision-making.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12911-015-0168-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

‘You feel like you haven’t got any control’: A qualitative study of side effects from medicines

“…Research has also found that the process of obtaining information may be influenced by an individual's coping style. 54,55 The levels of information that patients require varies greatly from those who require detailed medical information to those whose preference is to reduce discomfort by avoiding detail. Many of the participants used negative coping strategies such as negative expectations and excessive rumination.…”

Advances in Clinical Decision Support: Highlights of Practice and the Literature 2015-2016

“…Initiatives that target patients for decision support use methods taking into account factors such as suitability for diverse patient populations, including work to develop a patient-directed decision aid for those with heart failure who may need a left ventricular assist device, which effort required 19 iterations to produce suitable written and video decision support material for patients [56]. Indeed, in additional evidence pertaining to educating patients about oncologic disease, researchers who developed computer-based decision support for patients with thyroid cancer discovered only a moderately positive correlation of knowledge acquisition with CDS use [57], suggesting the need for additional work in this important thematic area. Future work to fold shared-decision making between clinicians and patients into CDS, such as implementation of the direct decision support model being promoted by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), likely will help address these challenges [58].…”

Hoe online informatie het beste aan ouderen met kanker gepresenteerd kan worden

“…Zo geeft de meerderheid van ouderen nog steeds aan hun zorgverlener de betrouwbaarste bron van gezondheidsinformatie te vinden (Chaudhuri, Le, White, Thompson & Demiris, 2013). Daarnaast is gebruik van online gezondheidsinformatie afhankelijk van allerlei andere factoren, zoals copingstijl (Sawka et al, 2015), vertrouwen in het internet (Xiaoa, Sharmanb, Rao & Upadhyayad, 2014) en informatiebehoeften (Lambert & Loiselle, 2007). Toekomstig onderzoek zou zich dan ook moeten richten op hoe online en offline informatie elkaar kunnen versterken om op deze manier gezondheidsinformatievoorziening voor ouderen te verbeteren.…”