A systematic development process for patient decision aids

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient Decision Aids
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• The International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) originally emphasized rigorous development and documentation for patient decision aids (PtDAs).
• A review was conducted to assess the relevance and scope of these quality dimensions and update them as necessary.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and update the quality standards for the development of patient decision aids (PtDAs).
• To identify essential components and documentation requirements for effective PtDA development processes.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of published papers on PtDAs evaluated in randomized controlled trials.
• Analysis of linked papers detailing PtDA development and reports from experienced PtDA development organizations.
• Development of an extended model and checklist for assessing the documentation of PtDA development processes.

Main Results:

• Common PtDA development stages include scoping, prototyping, iterative testing, field testing, and finalization.
• Many published PtDA development reports lacked adequate patient field testing, clinician review, or clear distribution strategies.
• Few reports detailed methods for reviewing and synthesizing clinical evidence (17%).

Conclusions:

• The proposed model development process incorporates original IPDAS elements and expands on format, distribution, and prototype development.
• The rationale for inclusion is pragmatic, highlighting the need for further research to establish evidence-based optimal methods for each development stage.