Title:
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Decision support intervention for reconstructive surgery following mastectomy
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Background
Post mastectomy breast reconstruction is an elective procedure offered to women
as part of surgical treatment for breast cancer. Choosing to have a reconstruction,
or not, and when, is a timely and challenging decision for women in an emotive
environment. Decision support interventions (DSIs) have proved beneficial in
enabling decision making with patients and clinicians in similar situations of clinical
equipoise. The goal of the DSI is to facilitate a decision that is reflective of the
patient's own priorities and preferences. However, the implementation of DSIs into
routine clinical practice has proved challenging. The thesis reports on the
development of a post mastectomy breast reconstruction DSI and on the feasibility
of implementing a DSI in the clinical environment.
Methods
Women's decision making about breast reconstruction was examined through a
literature review and a thematic analysis of interviews with breast cancer survivors.
A collaborative development framework and iterative process were utilised to
design the breast reconstruction DSI. The breast reconstruction DSI was
introduced into the clinical environment in a feasibility study to identify potential
barriers and facilitators to implementation. A case study approach, including the
decisional conflict scale and qualitative methods, examined the perceptions and
experience of the patients and clinicians using the DSI in a breast cancer clinic.
Results
The Option Grid DSI was published on-line as part of the Option Grid Collaborative.
In feasibility testing, its flexibility and accessibility were positive features in terms of
its implementation. The content and format facilitated the comparison of options.
The timing of when it was introduced impacted its effect on patient decision making.
Conclusions
The support of local stakeholders was significant in the development of the DSI.
The Option Grid DSI can be integrated into routine clinical practice, and gave some
consultations more structure. Patient participants in the feasibility study found it
constructive in facilitating their decision making. Further testing to explore the
timing of the DSI and its impact on a wider audience is warranted.
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