In this proof-of-concept study, we sought to evaluate whether a value clarification tool enabling patients to view a set of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment preference phenotypes could be used to support shared decision-making at the point-of-care.
We conducted a pretest/post test study. English-speaking patients with RA presenting to their scheduled outpatient visits were asked to participate. Visits for patients with active RA were transcribed. Shared decision-making components were measured using a quantitative coding scheme based on an established model of shared decision-making.
Forty-six visits were included in the pretest and 40 in the post test phases. Providers offered more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (2 or more) in the post test visits (60%) compared to the pretest visits (47.8%). Overall, more patients vocalized their values and/or preferences in the post test visits compared to the pretest visits for treatment escalation decisions including a choice of 1 new DMARD (90.9% versus 56.3%), 2 or more new DMARDs (95.8% versus 86.4%), as well as prednisone (87.5% versus 66.7%). Providers were also more likely to base their recommendations on patients' values and/or preferences in the post test (100% of 6 visits) than the pretest (64.3% of 14 visits) phases during visits in which a recommendation was made. The mean ± SD length of the visit was 29.9 ± 11.6 minutes and 25.1 ± 10.7 minutes in the pretest and post test phases, respectively.
This study provides an early indication that a value clarification tool allowing patients to consider a set of preference phenotypes can support shared decision-making at the point-of-care without extending visit time.