title: Making Decisions Better: an evaluation of an educational intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the widespread inclusion of consultation skills in undergraduate healthcare curricula, patient-doctor interactions are often an imparting of evidence or information rather than an exchange. Evidence-based practice may be further enhanced by increasing explicit understanding of decision-making processes used by healthcare professionals and patients. This exploratory investigation evaluated the impact of an educational intervention on understanding of decision-making processes and practice. The effect of session schedule was assessed to inform the future delivery strategy of such approaches.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three groups of primary care health professionals (n = 85) completed questionnaires using Likert scales to assess strength of agreement with decision-making statements exploring four themes - Theory, Applied Theory, Practice and Joint Practice - pre-intervention and post-intervention. Responses were analysed, firstly to assess the impact of the intervention on understanding of decision-making processes and practice across all participants and then by group to determine the effect of session schedules on outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall agreement with the decision-making statements significantly increased after the learning set (Mean = -0.162, SD = 0.355); t(64) = -3.666, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis on effect of session schedule only found significant interactions for the theme 'Joint Practice' with group (p < 0.025) and 3-way interaction of Group and Main role. (p < 0.048). No consistent positive impact of longer session schedule was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participation in the learning sessions significantly improved self-reported understanding of decision-making processes and application to clinical practice. The extended learning sessions did not provide additional benefits over and above 2 half days or 1 whole day learning sessions.
authors.affiliation: Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Carrie Louise
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.affiliation: Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.
authors.forename: Neal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maskrey
authors.affiliation: Imperial College London, London, UK.|University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vlaev
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations
keywords: evidence-based medicine; medicaL education; patient-centered care