A Randomized Trial Measuring the Effect of Decision Aids on Patients' Satisfaction, Conflict of Decision-making and Clinical Outcome

Decision aids are tools that help patients participate in making decisions by providing
detailed, specific, and personalized information regarding the benefits and risks of various
potential treatment options for a diagnosis. Decision aids can reduce the level of
uncertainty and mental anguish associated with choosing a particular course of action, i.e.
'decisional conflict'. The most common manifestations of decisional conflict include
verbalized uncertainty about choices or undesired consequences of alternatives, vacillation
between choices, and delayed decision making.

Besides the advantages of decision aids in the process of decision-making, the literature is
not conclusive about the effect of decision aids on patient satisfaction. Of the 86
randomized controlled trials identified by authors Stacey et al., eleven studies measured
satisfaction. Of these, four studies reported that people exposed to decision aids had higher
satisfaction with their choice compared to usual care, and the remaining seven reported no
statistically significant difference.

Studies that have directly investigated the effect of decision aids in orthopaedic practice
are limited and further study is necessary to determine the best way to implement decision
aids in a clinical orthopedic practice. 7-12 Randomized trials evaluating the impact of
decision aids on patient knowledge, decisional conflict, satisfaction, and outcomes may have
substantial impact in hand surgery where most treatments are elective and address quality of
life.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Age 18 and above

- Diagnosis of moderate or severe:

2.) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 5.) Trigger Finger (TF)

Exclusion Criteria:

- Patients with previous interventions for CTS or TF

- Inability to complete enrollment forms due to any mental status or language problems
(e.g. dementia, head injury, overall illness).