Development and alpha-testing of a patient decision aid for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia regarding dose reduction.

Background: Dose reduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is an option for some chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients to minimize side effects while maintaining efficacy. Shared decision-making (SDM) and patient decision aids (PDAs) are advocated to make informed choices such as reducing the dose of TKIs. This paper describes the development and alpha-testing of a PDA for patients with CML receiving TKI dose reduction.

Methods: The PDA was iteratively developed following IPDAS guidelines. First, a needs assessment with semi-structured interviews was conducted to understand the needs and preferences of patients and healthcare providers. Second, through feedback cycles with the project team and steering group the scope, content, and format were defined. Third, three rounds of alpha-testing were performed via individual "think aloud" sessions with patients (round 1) and healthcare providers (round 2) to qualitatively assess the comprehensibility, acceptability, and desirability of the PDA. Round 3 included quantitative evaluation via an acceptability and usability questionnaire. Qualitative data were categorized, and quantitative data were descriptively analyzed.

Results: The majority valued the development of the PDA during the needs assessment (n = 30). The PDA included disease and treatment information, information about dose reduction, knowledge questions, and a value clarification section. During alpha-testing, the PDA was considered clear, balanced, and helpful for decision-making. A total of 76% of the patients (n = 17) and 100% of the healthcare providers (n = 9) recommended it with overall mean scores of 7.4 and 7.8, respectively. The above average usability score was 68.1.

Conclusion: A well-accepted online PDA for chronic phase CML patients to consider TKI dose reduction was developed.