Effects of a decision support intervention on decisional conflict associated with microsatellite instability testing.

Background: Decision support to facilitate informed consent is increasingly important for complicated medical tests. Here, we test a theoretical model of factors influencing decisional conflict in a study examining the effects of a decision support aid that was designed to assist patients at high risk for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (CRC) deciding whether to pursue the microsatellite instability (MSI) test.

Methods: Participants were 239 CRC patients at high familial risk for a genetic mutation who completed surveys before and after exposure to the intervention.