Experiences of Using Patient Decision Aids for Decisions About Cancer Treatment: A Meta-Aggregation of Qualitative Studies.
Li-Ting Huang Longcoy, Asha Mathew, Min Kyeong Jang and 2 others
PMID 37430415WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with cancer described decision aids as helping them understand treatment options, clarify values, discuss concerns, involve family, and revisit decisions.
Some aids felt too simple, biased, unclear, or hard to use because of limited time, language barriers, or lacking computer skills.
Key findings
01Patients in 10 studies said decision aids helped them understand treatment options and consider consequences, and in 5 studies values exercises helped clarify what mattered most.
02Patients described decision aids as a way to raise concerns, reduce fear, prepare questions before consultations, and involve family caregivers.
03Some patients found decision aids too simplistic, biased, unclear, or hard to use because of limited time, language barriers, or lacking computer skills.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review included only English studies from four databases, so relevant studies may have been missed. The included studies had small numbers of participants. The decision aids were early stage and for common cancers, and the review did not include clinical trials showing effects on treatment decisions. Fully developed decision aids were not examined because available studies reported only quantitative data. Some studies lacked enough participant quotations, theory, or researcher reflexivity information. The findings describe experiences with first-line cancer treatment decisions, not other health decisions or clinical outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors reported no funding or conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that decision aids improve cancer treatment decisions or outcomes. It reports patients' perceptions from qualitative studies of early-stage aids, and some aids were paired with nurse or navigator support.