Patient Preference for the Management of Trigger Digit
K Joughin, SJ McCabe. Patient preference for the management of trigger digit. Can J Plast Surg 1993;1(3):141-142. Steroid injection and surgery are both accepted treatment options for trigger digit. The objective of this study was to determine which modality patients would prefer when given a choice of treatments, the strength of their preference and factors that may influence their preference. A probability trade-off technique was used in 151 subjects. On average, subjects selected injection over surgery and would do so with a probability of success by injection as low as 57%. If the probability of cure by injection was less than 57%, surgery would be the preferred method of treatment, on average. A bimodal distribution of patient preference showed that some patients may strongly prefer either surgery or injection, with many patients preferring surgery even with a high expected cure rate of the first injection. Age, gender and previous experience with injections or surgery did not correlate with preference. Patients with trigger digits should be presented with unbiased information about treatment and be allowed to take part in the selection of the type of treatment they receive.