Consumer Decision Aides: Where do we stand? A Systematic Review and Qualitative Evaluation with Women and Surgeons

Start/End Dates: 1998 - 2001

Investigators: Carole A. Estabrooks (PI), Vivek Goel, Carol Sawka, Jack Williams

Funder: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES)

Grant Amount: $100,000

Description: Consumer Decision Aids: Where Do We Stand? was a two part study done during Dr. Estabrooks' post doctoral training at ICES.

Part 1: Systematic review assessing the impact of decision aids/decision supports on consumer outcomes.

Part 2: A qualitative evaluation of the Breast Surgery Decision Aid from both women's' and surgeons' perspectives. Also included was a pilot level exploration of consumer perspectives on what constitutes health evidence.

The objectives of this program are to:

  1. systematically assess the impact of decision aids/decision supports on consumer outcomes in anticipation that such a look will facilitate planning of further ICES initiated and supported work in this area,

  2. conduct an in depth qualitative evaluation of the Breast Surgery Decision Aid from both womens and surgeons perspectives,

  3. permit exploration at a pilot level of consumer perspectives on what constitutes valid health information (i.e., evidence), and

  4. contribute to the theoretical and scientific foundations in the field.

The products of this research program are:

Technical Report:

  • Estabrooks, C.A., Thiel, E.C., Pinfold, S.P., Goel, V., Sawka, C., & Williams, J.I. Consumer Decision Aids: Where Do We Stand? ICES Technical Report. 00-01-TR, 1999. Toronto, Ontario: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.

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