Testing the feasibility of using a digital Patient Decision Aid
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cluster randomised controlled feasibility study of CONNECT: a patient decision aid designed to improve the quality of shared decision-making for planned coronary angioplasty.
IRAS ID
319363
Contact name
Felicity Astin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Open University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Background: Questionnaires sent to over 70,000 NHS patients in 2020 show that people often do not feel involved in making decisions about their own healthcare. Something we want to change. Patient decision aids (PtDAs) are ‘tools’ that are proven to improve the ‘quality’ of: 1) The decisions made, and 2) The decision-making process. However, they are not often used in NHS practice. We co-created a digital PtDA, with service users, called CONNECT, for people with coronary heart disease who are considering treatment with planned coronary angioplasty. Earlier research we completed suggested that almost half of patients receiving this treatment are not fully involved in decision-making, do not understand the information they are given, and misunderstand the benefits and risks of their treatment. Aim: We want to test CONNECT, in a larger study (trial), to see if it improves the quality of shared decision-making. But trials are expensive, so we need to do some ground-work first to understand what works best. In this preliminary fact-finding study, run over 24-months, we will ask 8 NHS Cardiac Centres, and 320 of their angina patients, about the best way to run a future trial. Six centres will use CONNECT and two will not. Design/methods: We will evaluate 1) our plans for the future trial design; and 2) the acceptability and practicality of CONNECT to users. We will collect information (using forms, questionnaires and interviews), to understand who will take part and whether enough people and Cardiac Departments agree to try CONNECT. We will also see if our plan for the future trial can work, whether patients and NHS staff like CONNECT, and how it might fit with NHS cardiology services. Data from this study will help to understand if CONNECT can be used in NHS practice and inform a future trial.
REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/0129
Date of REC Opinion
28 Feb 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion