Development and preliminary evaluation of a decision aid to support informed choice among patients with age-related cataract

Shared decision making and meaningful patient involvement are key in improving cataract treatment outcomes, but no decision aid has been formally developed and validated for this purpose. Our aims were to develop a patient decision aid to guide patients’ decision about when to undergo cataract surgery, and to determine patient’s comprehension and booklet’s acceptability. The patient decision aid was developed and included evidence-based information about general cataract, its benefits, risks of treatment options, and value clarification exercise. A total of 30 patients with age-related cataract aged between 50 and 80 years were interviewed after using either the patient decision aid (n = 15) or the traditional education booklet (n = 15). The patients who received the decision aid agreed that the information was new (n = 15, 100%), the length of the aid was “just about right” (n = 13, 87%), the information was clear and easy to understand (n = 13, 87%), the decision aid was helpful in making decision (n = 13, 87%) and would like to recommend this decision aid to others (n = 14, 93%). The decision aid was assessed positively by patients with age-related cataract. There is a need for its further verification in the context of primary eye care setting.