Head to head randomized trial of two decision aids for prostate cancer
Purpose: While many studies have tested the impact of a decision aid (DA) compared to not receiving any DA, far fewer have tested how different types of DA affect key outcomes such as treatment choice, patient-provider communication, or decision process/satisfaction. This study tested the impact of a typical medical oriented DA compared to a patient centered decision aid designed to encourage shared decision making and the decision making process in men with clinically localized prostate cancer.Patients and Methods: 1028 men at 4 VA hospitals were recruited after a scheduled prostate biopsy. Participants completed baseline measures and were randomized to receive either a patient centered or standard language DA. Participants were men with clinically localized cancer (N = 285) by biopsy and whom completed pre-clinic surveys. Survey measures: baseline (Time 1); immediately prior to seeing the physician for biopsy results (Time 2); one week following the physician visit (Time 3). Outcome measures included treatment preference and treatment received, knowledge, preference for shared decision making, decision making process, and patients’ use and satisfaction with the DA.Results: Participants who received the patient centered DA had greater interest in shared decision making after reading the DA (p=0.03), found the DA more helpful (p’s<0.01) and were more likely to be considering surveillance (p=0.03) compared to those receiving the standard language DA at Time 2. While these differences were present before patients saw their urologists, there was no difference between groups in the treatment patients received.Conclusions: The patient centered DA led to increased desire for shared decision making and for less aggressive treatment. However, these differences disappeared following the physician visit, which appeared to change patients’ treatment preferences.