Patient decision aids are tools that help people become involved in decision making by providing information about the options and outcomes and clarifying personal values. They are designed to complement, rather than replace, counselling from a health practitioner. The use of decision aids has been shown to decrease decisional conflict and result in improved knowledge, more realistic expectations of the benefits/risks and more active participation of individuals in decision-making. To date, the Ottawa Influenza Decision Aid (OIDA) is the only decision aid focused on influenza vaccination and has been specifically developed for HCW.
The peer reviewed Ottawa Influenza Decision Aid (OIDA) was developed to respond to the aforementioned decisional conflict and misconceptions among HCW. The OIDA presents evidence-based information and guides the individual through the decision-making process, including deliberation of personal values and beliefs. It was developed and is based on the Ottawa Decision Support Framework (ODSF) and then adjusted to meet the International Patient Decision Aid Standards (ipdas.ohri.ca). The OIDA translates current research evidence into an accessible, balanced, understandable format for all HCW, moving knowledge into action. The OIDA is four-page tool that guides the user through four steps in decision making: Step 1) What are the benefits and side effects of each option?; Step 2) Which reasons to choose each option matter most to you?; Step 3) What else do you need to prepare for decision making? And Step 4) What are the next steps?
This bilingual tool and its supporting background Figures and Numbers Document has been piloted in three facilities (two long-term and one acute care). Results from this pilot demonstrated that staff and staff advocates found the OIDA helpful and that it improved their knowledge of influenza prevention. In addition, after completing the OIDA, staff felt more informed about the benefits and side effects that mattered most to them, and felt supported in their decision making. Although the pilot suggested positive results, the feasibility and effectiveness of the OIDA as an influenza immunization campaign strategy remains undetermined.
For the 2008-2009 influenza season, the use of the OIDA was implemented within influenza immunization campaigns across eight healthcare organizations in Ontario and Nova Scotia. Campaign organizers of each facility were consulted for different ways to use the OIDA with their staff and were asked to share their experiences with using the OIDA. Feedback from the organizers suggested the need for more guidance on implementing the OIDA into their organizational campaign (unpublished data). The ideas derived from the consultation meetings and experiences of using the OIDA within a campaign were used to guide the development of an influenza immunization campaign implementation guide, which incorporates recommendations on using the OIDA.
Planning for 2009 – 2010
During the 2009 – 2010 influenza campaign season, we will be conducting a randomized controlled trial to determine whether or not the OIDA is helpful in resolving decisional conflict in healthcare workers when making a decision about whether or not to receive the influenza vaccine.
If your organization is interested in joining this project, please send an email to info@chiin.ca.
