Development of a Patient Decision Aid (PtDA) to Facilitate Renal Patients Informed Decisions About Dialysis Treatments

This research will develop and evaluate a paper and web resource known as a decision-aid to help patients make informed decisions about dialysis treatment. The Yorkshire Dialysis Decision Aid (YoDDA) will help patients' with chronic kidney disease make informed decisions between haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis choices by a) re-writing dialysis information in a more meaningful way for patients, b) restructuring information to make this difficult decision more manageable, and c) using prompts to help patients imagine the choices' consequences. The research will assess the acceptability of a patient decision aid in paper and web versions to patients and their carers, and its impact on patients choices about dialysis.

The programme of research included:

A survey using qualitative methods of patients with chronic kidney disease and professionals providing predialysis services to develop the Yorkshire Dialysis Decision Aid content, and integration within usual predialysis care practices.

A before-and-after study was carried out to evaluate the acceptability of the YoDDA-booklet to patients with sustained deterioration of kidney function making dialysis decision across the Yorkshire and Humber region, UK.

An experimental study was carried out on-line to evaluate the acceptability of three versions of YoDDA-web (YoDDA; YoDDA+values tasks; YoDDA_patient videos) to people, or carers of people, with kidney disease. The study was advertised with flyers within UK renal units and notices on the National Kidney Federation's website and members' magazine.