Effect of a Decision Aid on Agreement Between Patient Preferences and Repair Type for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Textbook outcomes as a novel patient-centric metric to inform carotid revascularization

OBJECTIVE

The recent National Coverage Determination surrounding carotid stenting and shared decision-making has ushered in an era of patient-centric carotid care. However, historical carotid intervention endpoints have lacked patient-centered nuances to inform clinical decisions. Accordingly, we aimed to create a comprehensive novel, patient-centric textbook outcome (TO) to inform treatment paradigms.

METHODS

We developed a novel composite TO for patients who underwent carotid revascularization reflecting a combination of patient-centric outcomes derived from previous patient interviews and the published literature. We defined a TO to include freedom from postprocedural neurologic events, myocardial infarction, cranial nerve injury, return to the operating room, reperfusion syndrome, or access site complications. The endpoint also included discharge on postprocedural day 1, home discharge, and 30-day survival. We measured the risk of a TO vs non-TO among asymptomatic patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA), transcarotid artery revascularization (TCAR), or transfemoral carotid artery stenting (TF-CAS) in the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) from 2016 to 2023.

RESULTS

We studied 72,778 patients who underwent carotid revascularization, 70.3% CEA, 21.0% TCAR, and 8.7% TF-CAS. The mean age across all patients was 71.6 ± 8.4 years, 39.9% were female, and 91.7% were White. A TO was achieved in 76.9% of patients, and was 76.7% after CEA, 76.5% after TCAR, and 79.1% after TF-CAS (P < .001). Postprocedural length of stay was 2 days or more in 21.0% of patients, and was 21.1% after CEA, 21.6% after TCAR, and 18.4% after TF-CAS (P < .001). Postprocedural neurologic events occurred in 1.0% of patients after CEA, 1.3% after TCAR, and 1.4% after TF-CAS (P = .037). A sensitivity analysis of the TO that did not include postprocedural length of stay demonstrated a non-TO in 5.9% of patients after CEA, 5.5% after TCAR, and 6.3% after TF-CAS (P = .070). Patients who did not achieve a TO had inferior 5-year survival compared with patients who did have a TO across all three cohorts (log-rank P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

This novel patient-centric endpoint demonstrated that a substantial percentage of patients fail to achieve a TO in current practice, and that failure to achieve a TO was associated with inferior 5-year survival. These findings are particularly important in light of the recent Medicare mandate for a shared decision-making approach to carotid care delivery and may help to best align patient preferences with procedure type.

Testing ChatGPT's Ability to Provide Patient and Physician Information on Aortic Aneurysm

INTRODUCTION

Our objective was to test the ability of ChatGPT 4.0 to provide accurate information for patients and physicians about abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and to assess its alignment with Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) clinical practice guidelines (CPG) for AAA care.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Fifteen patient-level questions, 37 questions selected to reflect 28 SVS CPGs and 4 questions regarding AAA rupture risk were posed to ChatGPT 4.0. Single responses were recorded and graded for accuracy and quality by ten board-certified vascular surgeons as well as two fellow trainees using a 5-point Likert scale; 1 = very poor, 2 = poor, 3 = fair, 4 = good, and 5 = excellent.

RESULTS

The mean of the means (MoM) accuracy rating across all 15 patient-level questions was 4.4 (SD 0.4, quartile range (QR) 4.2-4.7). ChatGPT 4.0 demonstrated good alignment with SVS practice guidelines (MoM: 4.2, SD: 0.4, QR: 3.9-4.5). The accuracy of responses was consistent across guideline categories; screening or surveillance (4.2), indications for surgery (4.5), preoperative risk assessment (4.5), perioperative coronary revascularization (4.1), and perioperative management (4.2). The generative artificial intelligence bot demonstrated only fair performance in answering the annual AAA rupture risk (MoM: 3.4, SD: 1.2, QR: 2.3-4.3).

CONCLUSIONS

ChatGPT 4.0 provided accurate responses to a variety of patient-level questions regarding AAA. Responses were well-aligned with current SVS CPGs except for inaccuracies in the risk of AAA rupture at varying diameters. The emergence of generative artificial intelligence bots presents an opportunity for study of applications in patient education and to determine their ability to augment the vascular specialist's knowledge base.

Shared Decision-Making in Patients with an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm or Peripheral Artery Disease: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

This review provides an overview of the literature on shared decision-making (SDM) in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or peripheral artery disease (PAD) and identifies barriers and facilitators.

METHODS

A systematic scoping review was conducted, in which 4 databases were systematically searched for the period January 2007 to November 2024. All articles were reviewed by 2 independent authors and asses for quality using the mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT).

RESULTS

The literature search yielded 15,738 articles, of which 50 met the inclusion criteria. Quality assessment via MMAT showed good quality in 70% of the studies. Various influencing factors were revealed on SDM in patients, physicians, consult content, and the system or organization of care.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite increased attention, implementing SDM in AAA and PAD patients remains challenging due to healthcare professionals' limited understanding of SDM. Patients seek active involvement but often feel inadequately engaged. There is a notable lack of research focusing on health care professionals and systemic influences on SDM.

Impact of patient sex on selection for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: a discrete choice experiment

OBJECTIVES

Women with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) are less likely to receive elective repair than men. This study explored the effect of patient sex and other attributes on vascular surgeons' decision-making for infrarenal AAA repair.

DESIGN

Discrete choice experiment.

SETTING

Simulated environment using case scenarios with varying patient attributes.

PARTICIPANTS

Vascular surgeons.

INTERVENTIONS

Surgical decision-making.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

AAA repair versus no repair and endovascular versus open repair.

RESULTS

182 surgeons completed 2987 scenarios. When all other attributes were equal, a woman was more likely to be offered an AAA repair (marginal rate of substitution (MRS) 3.86 (95% CI 2.93, 4.79)), while very high anaesthetic risk (MRS -4.33 (95% CI -5.63, -3.03)) and hostile anatomy (MRS -3.28 (95% CI -4.55, -2.01)) were deterrents. Increasing age did not adversely affect the likelihood of offering repair to men but decreased the likelihood for women, which negated women's selection advantage from the age of 83 years. Women were also more likely to be offered endovascular repair (MRS 2.57 (95% CI 1.30, 3.84)).

CONCLUSIONS

Patient sex alone did not account for real-world disparity observed in selection for surgery. Rather, being a woman was associated with a higher likelihood of being offered AAA repair but also a higher likelihood of being offered less invasive endovascular repair. Increased age decreased the likelihood of surgical selection for women but not men. Preference for less invasive repair, combined with inferior rates of anatomical suitability, and the comparably older age of women at the time of AAA repair selection may account for lower rates of repair for women observed.

One-year results of an eHealth intervention on anxiety in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery: randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

The longitudinal effects of educational interventions in people with abdominal aortic aneurysm are largely unexplored. This prospective study investigated whether the anxiety-lowering effect of an eHealth intervention observed at the 1-month follow-up is maintained 1 year after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery.

METHODS

Those scheduled for surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm were recruited in a single-centre randomized clinical trial. The control group received care and follow-up per the institution's standard. The intervention group received an eHealth tool along with psychosocial support. The 1-month results have been reported. The primary outcome measure was the anxiety mean score (HADS-A).

RESULTS

Of 120 included participants, 96 completed the 1-year follow-up (48 in each treatment group). The mean age was 73 years, a majority (86%) were male and 73% were current or previous smokers. Anxiety symptoms measured with the HADS-A decreased over time in both the intervention group (-0.33) and the control group (-0.35, P = 0.868). The improvements in anxiety symptoms seen in the short-term follow-up were not sustained at the 1-year follow-up. No significant mean score differences were found in the intention-to-treat or per-protocol analyses.

CONCLUSION

In this randomized clinical trial, an eHealth intervention did not result in a sustained reduction in anxiety symptoms compared with standard care in the same cohort. The study provides an insight into the limited acceptability of an eHealth tool in people with abdominal aortic aneurysm and valuable data on the recovery trajectory following open and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. Further research is warranted to evaluate the relevance and long-term effectiveness of eHealth interventions in abdominal aortic aneurysm care.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03157973 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

A Scoping Review of Decision Support Tools for Patients with Lower Extremity Arterial Disease: Toward Shared Decision-Making

BACKGROUND

In recent years, decision support tools (DSTs) in various fields of medicine have emerged to aid clinicians and patients in the process of shared decision-making (SDM). This scoping review aims to identify the existing DSTs for selecting treatments in lower extremity arterial disease and to evaluate their effectiveness in facilitating SDM.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for scoping reviews were followed. A literature search was conducted across MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases, along with the Decision Aid Library Inventory, for studies published between January 2000 and June 2023. Articles reporting the development and/or clinical application of a DST specific to lower extremity arterial disease were included. A narrative synthesis of the results was performed and findings were presented in tabular formats.

RESULTS

Five studies and 5 unique DSTs were included. Presenting formats included websites, booklets, brochures, and pocket cards. Overall, a high degree of heterogeneity was observed across all DSTs in their format, content, and delivery. A widespread acceptability and satisfaction were reported among patients and clinicians. However, their effect at improving SDM remains uncertain due to the lack of standardized outcome metrics.

CONCLUSIONS

The development and implementation of DSTs for lower limb arterial disease treatment discussion remain in the early stages. This review lays the foundation for future studies to continue exploring optimal strategies for DST development and their role in supporting SDM.

Longitudinal health-related quality of life in people with thoracic aortic aneurysms

BACKGROUND

Surgical intervention for thoracic aortic aneurysms is high risk. Understanding changes in health-related quality of life before and after endovascular stent grafting and open surgical repair can aid treatment decision-making.

METHODS

The Effective Treatments for Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms ('ETTAA') study (ISRCTN04044627) was a longitudinal, observational study. Adults with new/existing arch or descending thoracic aortic aneurysms greater than or equal to 4 cm in diameter were followed from 2014 to 2022. Five domains of health-related quality of life (Mobility, Self-Care, Usual Activities, Pain/Discomfort, and Anxiety/Depression) were recorded using the EuroQoL, five dimensions, five levels ('EQ-5D-5L') questionnaire and analysed using a range of longitudinal mixed models.

RESULTS

Of 886 thoracic aortic aneurysm participants, 824 completed at least 2 questionnaires. Patients had slightly worse health-related quality of life than age-matched norms. Without surgery, deterioration occurred over time in Mobility (0.072/year (95% c.i. 0.042 to 0.101), P < 0.001) and Self-Care (0.039/year (95% c.i. 0.018 to 0.061), P < 0.001) in both sexes and Pain/Discomfort in women (0.069/year (95% c.i. 0.020 to 0.118), P = 0.005). For 6 weeks after endovascular stent grafting, there was a significant impairment in Self-Care (0.214 (95% c.i. 0.112 to 0.316), P < 0.001) and (for women only) in Usual Activities (0.625 (95% c.i. 0.338 to 0.911), P < 0.001), which then returned to pre-endovascular stent grafting levels. Six weeks after open surgical repair, the impairment in health-related quality of life was greater (Mobility 0.492 (95% c.i. 0.314 to 0.669), Self-Care 0.474 (95% c.i. 0.364 to 0.583), Usual Activities 1.469 (95% c.i. 1.042 to 1.896), and Pain/Discomfort 0.561 (95% c.i. 0.363 to 0.760), all P < 0.001) and took longer to return to pre-open surgical repair levels, partly due to increased complications and longer hospitalization. Anxiety/Depression decreased after open surgical repair (-0.214 (95% c.i. -0.326 to -0.101), P < 0.001). Age, sex, frailty, smoking, New York Heart Association class, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were significantly associated with health-related quality of life.

CONCLUSION

Without intervention, health-related quality of life declines as age increases. Changes in health-related quality of life should contribute to surgical treatment decision-making.

Creation of a Shared Medical Decision Support Tool for the Management of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

BACKGROUND

Patients with unruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) at the surgical threshold may benefit from aneurysmal exclusion either by open surgery or endovascular repair. A patient decision aid (PtDA) could be useful to help patients and their surgeons choose between the 2 techniques. The aim of this study was to develop a shared medical decision support tool, in french language, for the surgical treatment of AAA.

METHODS

Following the steps recommended by the International Patient Decision Aids Standards, we carried out a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with patients and vascular surgeons and focus group with patients to identify their main points of interest. After analyzing the interviews using grounded theory with independent double coding, the verbatims were discussed at a steering committee, at the end of which a prototype of the tool was created.

RESULTS

Four surgeons and 14 patients were interviewed. No new codes emerged from the last 2 interviews. At the end of the steering committee meeting, the information selected for inclusion in the PtDA tool were the definition of an AAA, a description of the 2 surgical techniques (approach, duration of operation), the main complications, the peri-operative mortality rate, and postoperative follow-up (length of hospital stay, monitoring frequency, and risk of re-intervention). It had to be produced on a synthetic paper format, with 6 illustrations and a simple vocabulary.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed a PtDA tool for use in a sharing decision making process with the patient during consultation with the vascular surgeon and the general practitioner. Further studies are needed to validate the tool and to test it in clinical practice.

Patient's Preference for Same-Day Discharge or Hospitalization After Bariatric Surgery

PURPOSE

Enhanced Recovery After Bariatric Surgery protocols have proven to be effective in reducing complication rates and length of stay. Guidelines do not include a recommendation on the length of hospital stay whereas same-day discharge is currently widely investigated on safety and feasibility. However, none of these studies takes patient preferences into account. The study aimed to reveal the patient's preference for outpatient surgery (OS) in patients who underwent primary bariatric surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A single-center preference-based randomized trial was performed between March and December of 2021. Adult patients planned for primary bariatric surgery were able to choose their care pathway, either OS with remote heart and respiratory rate monitoring by a wearable data logger or standard care with at least one-night hospitalization.

RESULTS

Out of the 202 patients, nearly everyone (98.5%) had a preference. Of 199 patients, 99 (49.7%) chose inpatient surgery. Of the 100 with a preference for OS, 23 stayed in the hospital due to medical reasons and 12 patients changed their preference. Based on both initial preference and changed preference, there were no differences between sex, age, body mass index, and co-morbidities such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation, nor in the use of anticoagulants or type of surgery.

CONCLUSION

Patients seemed to have a strong preference for their stay after a bariatric procedure. The preference is equally divided between outpatient and inpatient surgery and is not influenced by any patient characteristics.

Editor's Choice -- European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) 2024 Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Abdominal Aorto-Iliac Artery Aneurysms

OBJECTIVE

The European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) has developed clinical practice guidelines for the care of patients with aneurysms of the abdominal aorta and iliac arteries in succession to the 2011 and 2019 versions, with the aim of assisting physicians and patients in selecting the best management strategy.

METHODS

The guideline is based on scientific evidence completed with expert opinion on the matter. By summarising and evaluating the best available evidence, recommendations for the evaluation and treatment of patients have been formulated. The recommendations are graded according to a modified European Society of Cardiology grading system, where the strength (class) of each recommendation is graded from I to III and the letters A to C mark the level of evidence.

RESULTS

A total of 160 recommendations have been issued on the following topics: Service standards, including surgical volume and training; Epidemiology, diagnosis, and screening; Management of patients with small abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), including surveillance, cardiovascular risk reduction, and indication for repair; Elective AAA repair, including operative risk assessment, open and endovascular repair, and early complications; Ruptured and symptomatic AAA, including peri-operative management, such as permissive hypotension and use of aortic occlusion balloon, open and endovascular repair, and early complications, such as abdominal compartment syndrome and colonic ischaemia; Long term outcome and follow up after AAA repair, including graft infection, endoleaks and follow up routines; Management of complex AAA, including open and endovascular repair; Management of iliac artery aneurysm, including indication for repair and open and endovascular repair; and Miscellaneous aortic problems, including mycotic, inflammatory, and saccular aortic aneurysm. In addition, Shared decision making is being addressed, with supporting information for patients, and Unresolved issues are discussed.

CONCLUSION

The ESVS Clinical Practice Guidelines provide the most comprehensive, up to date, and unbiased advice to clinicians and patients on the management of abdominal aorto-iliac artery aneurysms.

Shared Decision Making and the Management of Intact Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Scoping Review of the Literature

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to summarise the current knowledge of shared decision making (SDM) in patients facing a treatment decision about an intact abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), and to identify where further evidence is needed.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched on 18 July 2021. An updated search was run on 31 May 2022 for relevant studies published from 1 January 2000 to 31 May 2022.

REVIEW METHODS

This scoping review was undertaken in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines following a pre-defined protocol, retrieving studies reporting on aspects of SDM in those with intact AAAs. Qualitative synthesis of the articles was performed, and the results grouped according to theme.

RESULTS

Fifteen articles reporting on a total of 1 344 participants (age range 62-74 years) from hospital vascular surgery clinics with intact AAAs were included. Studies were observational (n = 9), non-randomised studies of an intervention (n = 3), and randomised clinical trials (n = 3). The first theme was the preferences and practice of SDM. The proportion of patients preferring SDM ranged from 58% to 95% (three studies), although objective rating of SDM practice was consistently < 50% (three studies). Clinician training improved SDM practice. The second theme was poor provision of information. Fewer than half of patients (0 - 46%) surveyed were informed about all available treatment options (three studies). Publicly available information sources were rated as poor. The third theme concerned the utility of decision making support tools (DSTs). Two randomised trials demonstrated that the provision of DSTs improves patient knowledge and agreement between patient preference and repair type received but not objective measures of SDM for patients with AAAs.

CONCLUSION

SDM for patients with an intact AAA appears to be in its infancy. Most patients with an AAA want SDM, but this is not commonly applied. Most patients with an AAA do not receive adequate information for SDM, although the use of bespoke DSTs leaves patients better informed to facilitate SDM.

"Mixed Reality" in patient education prior to abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Background: To investigate the usability of Mixed-Reality (MR) during patient education in patients scheduled for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Patients and methods: Consecutive patients scheduled for elective AAA repair were block-randomized in either the Mixed-Reality group (MR group) or the conventional group (control group). Patients of both groups were educated about open and endovascular repair of their respective AAA. The MR group was educated using a head-mounted display (HMD) demonstrating a three-dimensional virtual reconstruction of the respective patient's vascular anatomy. The control group was educated using a conventional two-dimensional monitor to display the patient's vasculature. Outcomes were informational gain as well as patient satisfaction with the educational process. (DRKS-ID: DRKS00025174). Results: 50 patients were included with 25 patients in either group. Both groups demonstrated improvements in scores in the Informational Gain Questionnaire (IGQ) when comparing pre- and post-education scores. (MR group: 6.5 points (±1.8) versus 7.9 points (±1.5); Control group: 6.2 points (±1.8) versus 7.6 points (±1.6); p<0.01) There was no significant difference between the MR group and the control group either in informational gain (MR group: 1.4±1.8; Control group: 1.4±1.8; p=0.5) nor in patient satisfaction scores (MR group: mean 18.3 of maximum 21 points (±3.7); Control group: mean 17 of 21 points (±3.6); p=0.1) Multiple regression revealed no correlation between the use of MR and informational gain or patient satisfaction. Usability of the system was rated high, and patients' subjective assessment of MR was positive. Conclusions: The use of MR in patient education of AAA patients scheduled for elective repair is feasible. While patients reported positively on the use of MR in education, similar levels of informational gain and patient satisfaction can be achieved with MR and conventional methods.