Abstract

BACKGROUND: The increasing proportion of telemedicine and virtual care in orthopaedic surgery presents an opportunity for upstream delivery of patient facing tools, such as decision aids. Displaced diaphyseal clavicle fractures (DDCF) are ideal for a targeted intervention as there is no superior treatment, and decisions are often dependent on patient preference. A decision aid provided prior to consultation may educate a patient and minimize decisional conflict similarly to in-person consultation with an orthopaedic traumatologist.METHODS: Patients with DDCF were enrolled into two groups. The usual care group participated in a discussion with a trauma fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon. Patients in the intervention group were administered a DDCF decision aid designed with International Patient Decision Aid Standards. Primary comparisons were made based on decisional conflict score. Secondary outcomes included treatment choice, pain score, QuickDASH, and opinion toward cosmetic appearance.RESULTS: A total of 41 patients enrolled. Decisional conflict scores were similar and low between the two groups: 11.8 (usual care) and 11.4 (decision aid). There were no differences in secondary outcomes between usual care and the decision aid.DISCUSSION: Our decision aid for the management of DDCF produces a similarly low decisional conflict score to consultation with an orthopaedic trauma surgeon. This decision aid could be a useful resource for surgeons who infrequently treat this injury or whose practices are shifting toward telemedicine visits. Providing a decision aid prior to consultation may help incorporate patient values and preferences into the decision-making process between surgery and non-operative management.LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

View details for DOI 10.1097/BOT.0000000000001916

View details for PubMedID 33105455