Hilary Bekker|Anna Winterbottom|Phyllis Butow|Amanda J. Dillard|Deb Feldman?Stewart|Floyd J. Fowler|Maria Jibaja?Weiss|Victoria A. Shaffer|Robert J. Volk
Do personal stories make patient decision aids more effective? A critical review of theory and evidence
University of Leeds|University of Leeds|University of Sydney|Grand Valley State University|Queen's University|Health Decisions (United States)|Baylor College of Medicine|University of Missouri|The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
patient decision aids support people make informed decisions healthcare options personal stories provide illustrative examples others experiences seen useful way communicate information health illness evidence indicates providing information within personal stories affects judgments values people choices make differentially facts presented nonnarrative prose unclear including narrative communications within patient decision aids enhances effectiveness support people make informed decisionsa survey primary empirical research employing systematic review method investigated effect patient decision aids without personal story peoples healthcare judgements decisions searches carried 20052012 electronic databases medline psycinfo reference lists identified articles review articles key authors narrative analysis described synthesised findingsof 734 citations identified 11 included describing 13 studies studies found participants judgments andor decisions differed depending whether decision aid included patient story knowledge equally facilitated decision aids without stories similar information content storyenhanced aids may help people recall information time andor motivation engage health information personal stories affected system 1 eg less counterfactual reasoning emotional reactions perceptions system 2 eg perceived deliberative decision making stable evaluations time decisionmaking strategies findings exploring associations narrative communications decision quality measures different levels literacy numeracy mixed pattern findings similar experimental realworld studiesthere insufficient evidence adding personal stories decision aids increases effectiveness support peoples informed decision making rigorous research required elicit evidence type personal story encourages people make reasoned decisions b discourages people making choices based anothers values c motivates people equally engage healthcare resources