The Informed Medical Decisions Foundation is currently working to expand the international reach of our decision aids with a number of exciting localization projects currently in the works with our partner Bupa and other international colleagues. Down under, our content development team is working with Bupa Australia to localize six of our patient decision aids, with an additional five to be adapted in the near future. This pilot project aims to introduce shared decision making to Bupa Australia members who are currently managing chronic health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and lower back pain. Localizing the patient decision aids will not only include changes in spelling and units of measure, but will also include an infusion of local idioms and alignment of clinical content with Australian practice guidelines. “In 2010 we supported the localization of the Chronic Condition Guide for use by health coaches in Australia. This new project will put localized versions of our Shared Decision Making® programs into the hands of Australians who are facing important treatment choices and making decisions about how best to manage their conditions,” says Diana Stilwell, Foundation chief production officer.
Three academic groups in French-speaking countries are working with our staff to develop a study to evaluate the use of decision aids for prostate cancer screening. The teams plan to translate the PSA program into French, and make other necessary adaptations before testing it among patients and clinicians in France, Switzerland and Quebec to verify its acceptability and impact. In addition, Bupa UK is currently testing our hip and knee osteoarthritis decision aids with their members, including expatriate members. “These studies will make a great contribution to our understanding of how to adapt patient decision aids for use in different settings and cultures,” says Angela Coulter, Foundation director of global initiatives.
