Development and pilot testing of an online screening decision aid for men with a family history of prostate cancer
Publication Details
Wakefield, C. E., Watts, K. J., Meiser, B., Sansom-Daly, U., Barratt, A., Mann, G. J., et al. (2011). Development and pilot testing of an online screening decision aid for men with a family history of prostate cancer. Patient Education and Counseling, 83(1), 64-72. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2010.05.025
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to develop and pilot test an online screening decision aid (DA) for men with a family history of prostate cancer.
Methods: Eligible men (with no previous prostate cancer diagnosis) were recruited through relatives attending a urology outpatient clinic. Men evaluated the DA in two stages. First, they appraised a paper-based version using a questionnaire (n = 22). Second, the same men were asked to reflect on an interactive web-based version via a semi-structured telephone interview (n = 20).
Results: Men evaluated both forms of the DA positively. Of the paper-based version, the majority of participants found the DA useful (91%), and that it contained enough information to make a screening decision (73%). All participants reported that the online DA was easy to use and navigate. Most participants reported that a website was their preferred mode of receiving prostate cancer screening information (70%).
Conclusion: The developed DA may represent the first online decision-making tool designed specifically for men with a family history prostate cancer that presents age and risk specific information to the user.
Practice implications: Comprehensive evaluations of the efficacy and impact of educational interventions such as this are crucial to improve services for individuals making informed screening decisions.
Keywords
peer-reviewed
