Decision aids reduced decisional conflict in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension
Q Do simple or complex decision aids assist patients with newly diagnosed hypertension in deciding whether to start drug treatment?
METHODS
Design:
randomised controlled 2 x 2 factorial trial.
Allocation:
concealed.
Blinding:
unblinded.
Follow up period:
2 weeks and 3 months.
Setting:
21 general practices in Avon, UK.
Patients:
217 patients aged 30–80 years (mean age 58 y, 52% men) who had sustained high blood pressure (BP) requiring discussion of drug treatment with a general practitioner and were not taking antihypertensive medication. Exclusion criteria: severe hypertension requiring immediate treatment, secondary hypertension, pregnancy associated hypertension, inability to understand English, and dementia or learning difficulties.
Interventions:
decision analysis (computerised utility assessment interview with individualised risk assessment and decision analysis) (n = 103) or no decision analysis (n = 114) and an information video plus leaflet (n = 106) or no video plus leaflet (n = 111). Interventions lasted 1 hour.
Outcomes:
degree of uncertainty about treatment course of action (total score on the 16 item Decisional Conflict Scale …
