Adaptation of a Patient Decision Aid for a Ventricular Assist Device for Destination Therapy in Ontario, Canada.

Background: Patients considering a ventricular assist device for destination therapy (DT-VAD) face a complex decision. Patient decision aids (PDAs) facilitate informed, shared decision-making. Purpose: The primary purpose of our quality improvement (QI) initiative was to produce a revised/adapted version of a USA-developed DT-VAD-PDA for use in Ontario, Canada. Methods: Using mixed methods, we interviewed patients with DT-VADs, caregivers, and healthcare providers (HCPs; N = 18). Participants also completed an acceptability questionnaire on the USA-DT-VAD-PDA. Results: Participants (N = 3 patients; 2 caregivers; 13 HCPs) indicated that the USA-DT-VAD-PDA included critically important information for patients and caregivers, and was a valuable patient teaching tool for HCPs. The interviews also elicited insightful recommendations for content adaptions and implementation strategies. Conclusions: The outcome of this QI project was an evidence-informed DT-VAD-PDA that has the potential for HCPs to leverage when facilitating an informed, shared decision-making process for these patients within the Canadian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]