Abstract
BackgroundDecisions related to mental health are often complex, problems often remain undetected and untreated, information unavailable or not used, and treatment decisions frequently not informed by best practice or patient preferences.ObjectiveThe objective of this paper was to obtain the opinions of health professionals working in primary health care settings about a Web-based information decision aid (IDA) for patients concerning treatment options for depression and the dissemination of the resources in primary care settings.MethodsParticipants were recruited from primary care clinics in Winnipeg and Ottawa, Canada, and included 48 family physicians, nurses, and primary care staff. The study design was a qualitative framework analytic approach of 5 focus groups. Focus groups were conducted during regular staff meetings, were digitally recorded, and transcripts created. Analysis involved a content and theme analysis.ResultsSeven key themes emerged including the key role of the primary care provider, common questions about treatments, treatment barriers, sources of patient information, concern about quality and quantity of available information, positive opinions about the IDA, and disseminating the IDA. The most common questions mentioned were about medication and side effects and alternatives to medication. Patients have limited access to alternative treatment options owing to cost and availability.ConclusionsPractitioners evaluated the IDA positively. The resources were described as useful, supportive of providers’ messages, and accessible for patients. There was unanimous consensus that information needs to be available electronically through the Internet.
Highlights
Informed decision-making is essential to good patient health outcomes
One tool for facilitating informed decision making on health is the information decision aid (IDA), which engages patients in the decision-making process and helps them to make choices among different treatment options
The importance of IDAs as a tool to support decision making brings forward the question of their effective dissemination in primary health care settings
Summary
Informed decision-making is essential to good patient health outcomes. Patients are more likely to initiate and continue treatment when informed about choices [1], facilitating a more cost-effective use of health care resources [2]. One tool for facilitating informed decision making on health is the information decision aid (IDA), which engages patients in the decision-making process and helps them to make choices among different treatment options. Information decision aids present information about a condition, associated medical tests and treatment options, and the probabilities of risks and benefits of the different options to assist patients with the decision-making process [7]. The importance of IDAs as a tool to support decision making brings forward the question of their effective dissemination in primary health care settings. Decisions related to mental health are often complex, problems often remain undetected and untreated, information unavailable or not used, and treatment decisions frequently not informed by best practice or patient preferences
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