title: Patient perceptions of a decision support tool to assist with young women's contraceptive choice.
abstract: Contraceptive decision support tools (DSTs) have been suggested as a way to provide patient-centered contraceptive care, but little is known about the role they play in women's decision-making. The aim of this study is to understand patients' perceptions of the value of a contraceptive DST.
  
  
  
  We conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with unmarried women aged 18-29 from an integrated health care system who viewed the DST. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify common themes in the participants' experience.
  
  
  
  Four themes were identified: Informative; Narrowing down options; Tool vs. doctor; and Preparation for a clinical visit. In general, participants felt the tool was valuable because it provided them relevant information and facilitated their decision-making process by narrowing down contraceptive options. Participants felt the tool could prepare them for a visit with their health care provider by helping them identify questions for their provider, but also saw distinctions between the DST and what their provider could offer.
  
  
  
  Contraceptive DSTs are valuable to their users when they include information on contraceptive attributes women deem important and allow for user-driven tailoring.
  
  
  
  Contraceptive DSTs may address patient informational needs and can serve as a complement to provider counseling.
authors: Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, 2000 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, USA. Electronic address: cassondra.j.marshall@kp.org.
authors: Cassondra
authors: C
authors: Marshall
authors: School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 50 University Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors: Amani
authors: A
authors: Nuru-Jeter
authors: School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 50 University Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors: Sylvia
authors: S
authors: Guendelman
authors: Richard and Rhonda Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley, 2607 Hearst Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Mauldon
authors: Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, 2000 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, USA.
authors: Tina
authors: T
authors: Raine-Bennett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods*; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000379:methods*; D010465:Perception; D036301:Qualitative Research