Decisional conflict in asthma patients: a cross sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed at determining the level of decisional conflict in asthmatic individuals facing recommendation-based decisions provided to improve asthma control.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study performed on a convenience sample of 50 adults aged between 18 and 65 years with a diagnosis of asthma. They completed a decisional conflict scale (possible range of 0-100%), asthma knowledge and control questionnaires (both 0% and 100%), and a general questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics. A decisional conflict was considered clinically significant with a score greater than 37.5%. Simple descriptive statistics were used to investigate associations with decisional conflict.


RESULTS
Participants were mainly women (76%) and diagnosed with mild asthma (72%). The median age (1st and 3rd quartile) was 25 years (22 and 42). The median score (1st and 3rd quartile) of decisional conflict was 33% (24 and 44). A clinically significant score (>37.5%) was obtained in 36% of subjects. A statistically significant negative correlation between the knowledge score and the decisional conflict score (r(p) = -0.38; p = 0.006) was observed. The level of knowledge was the only statistically independent variable associated with the decisional conflict score (p = 0.0043).


CONCLUSIONS
A considerable proportion of patients with asthma have a clinically significant level of decisional conflict when facing decisions aimed at improving asthma control. Patients with poor knowledge of asthma are more at risk of clinically significant level of decisional conflict. These findings support the relevance of providing asthmatic patients with relevant information in decision aids.
a Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec (CRIUCPQ), Knowledge Transfer, Education and Prevention Chair on Respiratory and Cardiovascular Health , Québec (Québec) , Canada and.
Annick
A
Des Cormiers
b Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CRCHUQ), Knowledge Transfer and Health Technology Assessment Research Group, Hôpital St-François D'Assise , Québec (Québec) , Canada.
France
F
Légaré
a Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec (CRIUCPQ), Knowledge Transfer, Education and Prevention Chair on Respiratory and Cardiovascular Health , Québec (Québec) , Canada and.
Serge
S
Simard
a Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec (CRIUCPQ), Knowledge Transfer, Education and Prevention Chair on Respiratory and Cardiovascular Health , Québec (Québec) , Canada and.
Louis-Philippe
LP
Boulet
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
Asthmatic; decision-making; decisional conflict scale; knowledge