Improving shared decision-making in advanced Parkinson's disease: protocol of a mixed methods feasibility study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Health Services Research
• Decision Science

Background:

• Advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) presents complex treatment choices for patients and neurologists.
• Shared decision-making (SDM) integrates evidence, clinical expertise, and patient preferences for optimal treatment selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of an SDM intervention for advanced PD.
• Objectives include analyzing user acceptability, implementation levels, small-scale efficacy, and study procedure evaluation.

Main Methods:

• An uncontrolled before-after mixed methods design was employed.
• The intervention included an Option Grid™ decision aid, supplementary website, and value clarification tool.
• Professionals received SDM training; data collected via questionnaires, interviews, and observations.

Main Results:

• Feasibility was assessed through user acceptability, implementation, and preliminary efficacy.
• Mixed methods analysis provided insights into SDM intervention impact on professional-patient interactions.

Conclusions:

• The SDM intervention's feasibility and impact on decision-making interactions were evaluated.
• Findings will inform the design of a future randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test SDM effectiveness in advanced PD.