TRIAD Appendicitis Decision-making Surveys

Recruiting

Brief Summary: While appendectomy has been the main treatment of appendicitis for over 100 years, recent European studies found that, at least among highly selected patients, antibiotics alone can be an effective alternative. Surgeons and patients alike have a difficult time deciding if surgery or antibiotics are the best choice to treat appendicitis. The goal of the TRIAD is to evaluate the patients who are a part of the TRIAD implementation program and assess satisfaction and decisional regret for patients with appendicitis. This information will be used to inform the design of decision-support interventions to help patients improve their ability to make an informed decision in-line with their preferences and values.

Detailed Description: TRIAD Patient Surveys is a cross-sectional survey design that will lead to more informed decision making and better outcomes related to antibiotics for appendicitis.

TRIAD was developed from questions raised by the University of Washington CODA Trial that addressed many of the methodological issues in the European studies and included diverse, adult patients (n=1552) with almost all types of presentations of appendicitis.

TRIAD surveys will be carried out in clinics and hospitals across the United States. Patients who are diagnosed with appendicitis will be recruited for study participation regardless of which treatment (appendectomy or antibiotics) they receive. Investigators invite patients to participate in a survey designed to identify awareness of treatment options and levels of decisional conflict (measured with the Ottawa Decisional Conflict Score \[DCS\]). Participants will complete a baseline survey via a convenient electronic platform, and follow-up surveys will be sent at 30 days.

By implementing the TRIAD surveys, researchers hope to obtain a better understanding of patients' perspectives, knowledge, and decision-making processes regarding the choice between appendectomy and antibiotic treatment for appendicitis. This data can contribute to more informed decision-making and potentially improve outcomes related to antibiotic use for this condition.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Any patient the clinical team feels is appropriate for considering either surgery or antibiotics for their initial appendicitis treatment

Exclusion Criteria

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Surgery	Baseline	Patients who chose to receive surgery as treatment for their appendicitis.
Surgery	30 Day Follow Up	Patients who chose to receive surgery as treatment for their appendicitis.
Antibiotics	30 Day Follow Up	Patients who chose to receive antibiotics as treatment for their appendicitis.
Antibiotics	Baseline	Patients who chose to receive antibiotics as treatment for their appendicitis.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Ottawa Decisional Conflict Scale	3 years	Ottawa Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) measures personal perceptions of uncertainty in choosing options; modifiable factors contributing to uncertainty; and effective decision making

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method

Locations (17): Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles
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Los Angeles, California, United States
Grady Health System / Morehouse School of Medicine
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Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Kaiser Permanente Riverside
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Riverside, California, United States
Northwestern Medicine
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Chicago, Illinois, United States
Boston Medical Center
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Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Harborview Medical Center
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Seattle, Washington, United States
Northwest Hospital and Medical Center
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Seattle, Washington, United States
University of Washington Medical Center
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Seattle, Washington, United States
Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park
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Baldwin Park, California, United States
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
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Iowa City, Iowa, United States
Michigan Medicine- University of Michigan
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Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Columbia University Medical Center
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New York, New York, United States
Lyndon B Johnson- Harris Health
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Houston, Texas, United States
Atrium Health
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Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
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Houston, Texas, United States
Medical University of South Carolina
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Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Texas Tech University
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Lubbock, Texas, United States