Shared decision-making approach to type 2 diabetes management

To provide an online interactive decision aid to facilitate shared decision making in the context of medication choices for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

The best available clinical prediction model for patients with T2DM was selected based on a review of guidelines, DynaMed, and UpToDate and a search of PubMed. A list of pharmacotherapeutic options for T2DM was compiled based on a review of guidelines, narrative reviews, and expert opinion. To determine the benefits and harms of each treatment, federated search engines were searched for meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials, supplemented by individual randomized controlled trials for outcomes not reported in meta-analyses.

Approximately 2.1 million Canadians have T2DM, with a resulting increased risk of death, cardiovascular disease, and microvascular outcomes. While more than a dozen medication options are available, decisions regarding these medications are challenging, as patients vary in their preferences. Shared decision making has the potential to individualize these difficult decisions, but the number of diabetes-related outcomes and available treatment options have made this historically impractical. It is within this context that the PEER Diabetes Medication Decision Aid was developed. This decision aid provides patients with personalized 10-year risk estimates for 6 clinically important diabetes-related outcomes. The tool also allows patients to focus on the outcome that matters most to them and to compare the benefits and harms of up to 12 different treatment options. This information is displayed in personalized absolute numbers, along with practical considerations such as cost.

The PEER Diabetes Medication Decision Aid provides a practical tool that can enable patients with T2DM to come to autonomous and well-informed medication decisions.