Using Multimedia Approaches to Communicate Probabilities in Patient Decision Aids for Low-Literacy Populations

Primary Investigator:
Robert J. Volk
Primary Location:
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of General Internal Medicine
Project Type & Year:
Special Project 2010

Purpose

The broad, long-term goal of this project is to determine the value of enhanced multimedia approaches to communicating probabilities in patient decision support tools when applied to patients with low health literacy/numeracy. The specific aims of the project are as follows:

1. Using the Health Dialog-Foundation developed decision aid program “Colon Cancer Screening: Deciding What’s Right for You” to prepare three alternative presentation versions for communicating the probabilities, each with increasing use of multimedia technologies.

2. Test the three versions of the decision aid among individuals with low health literacy/numeracy who are about to make a screening decision for colon cancer in order to evaluate acceptability, confidence in decision, credibility of information, level of engagement and knowledge (general “gist” and objective, specific knowledge).