Development of a Web-Based Multimedia Patient Decision Aid for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A User-Centered Design

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Health Informatics
• Patient Engagement

Background:

• Shared decision-making (SDM) is crucial in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) due to diverse treatment options.
• Aligning treatment choices with patient values and preferences is essential for effective RA management.
• This study addresses the need for structured, standards-aligned patient decision aids (PtDAs) in the Greek healthcare system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a web-based patient decision aid (PtDA) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment decisions.
• To ensure the PtDA is standards-aligned and user-centered within the Greek healthcare context.
• To provide a tool supporting values clarification and medication option comparison for RA patients.

Main Methods:

• A user-centered methodology guided by the Ottawa Decision Support Framework and International Patient Decision Aid Standards.
• Multistage development including evidence synthesis, iterative prototyping, and user testing (focus groups, interviews, think-aloud protocols).
• Usability assessed via System Usability Scale (SUS); methodological quality evaluated using IPDASi v3 and UCD-11 criteria.

Main Results:

• A three-step, web-based PtDA was developed, supporting values clarification, medication comparison, and decisional confidence.
• The tool is publicly accessible, multi-device compatible, and offers a printable format.
• Demonstrated good usability (SUS: 75.93), strong IPDASi alignment (83.3/100), and full user-centered design criteria adherence (11/11).

Conclusions:

• Developing digital patient decision aids requires robust methodological frameworks.
• The developed RA PtDA shows acceptable usability and adherence to international standards in its early stages.
• Further research is needed to assess the tool's impact on decision-making processes, value-choice concordance, and clinical outcomes.