Mixed Methods Study Web-based Life Support Decision Aid

Summary

Patients and families want to be involved in healthcare decisions. When the decision-making process does not engage older patients and their families, the care provided does not match patient preferences or meet their needs. Healthcare teams can collaborate to support patients and families facing difficult healthcare decisions, such as decisions about the use of technology used to keep a person alive when they are critically ill. Tools called patient decision aids are used in many health care settings to help patients and families understand their options and figure out the benefits and harms of a treatment to decide what is right for them. The healthcare team can make sure that patients understand the information provided, give them opportunities to ask questions, and help them talk more about the decision with others. This research study is trialing a web based patient decision aid class of intervention. It is anticipated that 120 hospitalized, seriously ill, older adult patients/ families and their healthcare professionals will be recruited. The study will determine if the intervention can improve dialogue about whether life sustaining technology for seriously ill older patients. The findings will contribute to what is already known about overcoming challenges to involving patients and families with a goal of keeping patients and families at the centre of decisions about their health.

Conditions

• Clinical Decision-Making

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Web based life support patient decision aid

The web-based life support decision aid (eLSDA) was adapted from a print-based decision aid. The eLSDA includes information on the pros and cons of both life support and comfort care. The eLSDA lays out the decision about life support for an individual patient/family in a logical stepwise fashion to permit discussion, ask questions, and permit reflection on each step. At the end of the eLSDA, unmet decision-making needs are identified to seek support from the healthcare team.

BEHAVIORAL

Decision coaching

During the interactive process of using the eLSDA, the study nurse provides decision coaching for patient/family, specifically a facilitated values clarification exercise.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Saskatchewan

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Jennifer Kryworuchko, PhD RN CNCC · University of British Columbia

• Wanda Martin, PhD RN · University of Saskatchewan

• Donna Goodridge · University of Saskatchewan

• Petrina McGrath · Saskatoon Health Region

• Karen Levesque · Saskatoon Health Region

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

55 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-06-01

Primary Completion

2017-01-29

Completion

2017-01-29

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations