Development and field testing of a decision support tool to facilitate shared decision making in contraceptive counseling.
Christine Dehlendorf, Judith Fitzpatrick, Jody Steinauer and 4 others
PMID 28237522WHAT IT FOUND
Women using a tablet-based contraceptive decision aid before counseling found it acceptable and helpful for choosing a method.
The pilot was too small to confirm most outcome differences.
Key findings
01Of the 41 patients who used the tool, 96% reported it helped them choose a method and 96% were satisfied with the information they received.
02Compared with usual care, tool users had a trend toward being completely satisfied with their method choice (29% vs 12%), but the study was not powered to confirm outcome differences.
03In interviews, patients described the tool as acceptable, clear, and helpful for preparing questions for the counseling visit.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The pilot was not powered adequately to evaluate differences between groups. The comparison group was recruited before the tool was introduced, and the paper does not report random allocation. Participants were English-speaking women aged 15 to 45 in safety net clinics, so results may not apply to other settings or languages. Qualitative interviews included 10 patients, a small sample. The study evaluated clarity and acceptability, not proven improvement in contraceptive use.
Declared interests
The paper reports design and development support from The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the tool improves contraceptive outcomes. The pilot was not powered to confirm differences, and most comparisons were trends rather than clear effects.