User-testing of a decision-support tool for parents facing threatened periviable delivery: The Periviable GOALS decision aid.
Brownsyne Tucker Edmonds, Shelley M Hoffman, Tatiana Laitano and 3 others
PMID 33162273WHAT IT FOUND
Women facing extremely early birth rated a new app “good” or “excellent” and said it was balanced and useful.
It showed outcome estimates, comfort care, and family videos, but the study did not test whether it improves decisions or health.
Key findings
01Six hospitalized women who viewed the full decision aid rated every section “good” or “excellent,” found the information “just right” and “balanced,” and said it would help them make a decision.
02Half of the providers who tested the aid thought it was biased toward choosing resuscitation because of the order outcomes were presented, while all hospitalized women said it was balanced.
03Videos covering five outcome categories were rated “good” or “excellent” by women and providers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The work was done at two institutions, so it may not fit all regions. Beta testing included only six hospitalized women, so acceptability in that real-world setting is preliminary. The tool was not yet functional in Spanish, and literacy supports such as voice-over were planned but not tested. Partners and family members were not included in testing. The lived-experience videos may introduce bias, even though the team tried to reduce it. The study tested acceptability and usability, not whether the aid improves decisions, reduces regret, or improves mental health.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not include a conflict-of-interest declaration. The article is tagged as N.I.H. extramural and non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat this as proof that the app improves decisions about very early birth or parental mental health. The beta test included six hospitalized women and measured acceptability, not decision quality or mental health.