Development and pilot testing of an online screening decision aid for men with a family history of prostate cancer

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to develop and pilot test an online screening decision aid (DA) for men with a family history of prostate cancer.

Methods: Eligible men (with no previous prostate cancer diagnosis) were recruited through relatives attending a urology outpatient clinic. Men evaluated the DA in two stages. First, they appraised a paper-based version using a questionnaire (n=22). Second, the same men were asked to reflect on an interactive web-based version via a semi-structured telephone interview (n=20).

Results: Men evaluated both forms of the DA positively. Of the paper-based version, the majority of participants found the DA useful (91%), and that it contained enough information to make a screening decision (73%). All participants reported that the online DA was easy to use and navigate. Most participants reported that a website was their preferred mode of receiving prostate cancer screening information (70%).

Conclusion: The developed DA may represent the first online decision-making tool designed specifically for men with a family history prostate cancer that presents age and risk specific information to the user.

Practice implications: Comprehensive evaluations of the efficacy and impact of educational interventions such as this are crucial to improve services for individuals making informed screening decisions.