# Piloting of a Decision Aid for Recurrent Tonsillitis

## TL;DR

This pilot study tested a decision aid for adults with recurrent tonsillitis but found no significant improvement in decision quality, though it showed some satisfaction benefits.

## Contribution

The study introduces and pilots the first adult-specific decision aid for recurrent tonsillitis.

## Key findings

- No significant difference in decision quality between the decision aid and treatment as usual groups.
- A statistically significant level of decisional satisfaction was found for one question in the Shared tool at the time of decision-making.
- The decision aid was deemed acceptable and useful but did not improve decision-making quality based on preliminary qualitative evidence.

## Abstract

Currently, there is no adult‐specific decision aid (DA) to support decision‐making regarding recurrent tonsillitis. This study intends to address this gap by piloting a prototype DA.

Randomised clinical trial.

Single centre trial at a tertiary otolaryngology department.

Forty‐three patients were randomised to either the DA or Treatment as Usual (TAU) group.

Primary objective: To measure how patients rate the quality of their decision‐making experience at the time of the decision and at follow‐up (SURE scale).

Secondary objective: The level of decisional satisfaction at the time of the decision and follow‐up, as well as to explore the numbers of people opting for surgery for each study condition (Shared tool and patient feedback).

Quality: This study demonstrates no statistically significant difference in how patients rate the quality of their treatment decision between DA and TAU, both at baseline (p = 0.553) and follow‐up (p = 0.062).

Satisfaction: This study showed a statistically significant level of decisional satisfaction at the time the decision was made for Qu2 of the Shared tool (U = 113, p = 0.026). No other significant difference was found between participants who received the DA and TAU.

The DA is an acceptable and useful tool that could be incorporated into the pathway for recurrent tonsillitis, helping to eliminate physician implicit bias. However, preliminary qualitative evidence from this pilot study does not suggest that including the DA improves the quality of decision‐making.

Trial Registration: IRAS ID ‐ 230 362