The Relationship Between Decisional Regret and Well-Being in Patients With and Without Depressive Disorders: Mediating Role of Shared Decision-Making

Patient-related decisional regret: An evolutionary concept analysis

BACKGROUND

Health-related decision-making is a complex process given the variability of treatment options, conflicting treatment plans, time constraints and variable outcomes. This complexity may result in patients experiencing decisional regret following decision-making. Nonetheless, literature on decisional regret in the healthcare context indicates inconsistent characterization and operationalization of this concept.

AIM(S)

To conceptually define the phenomenon of decisional regret and synthesize the state of science on patients' experiences with decisional regret.

DESIGN

A concept analysis.

METHODS

Rodgers' evolutionary method guided the conceptualization of this review. An interdisciplinary literature search was conducted from 2003 until 2023 using five databases, PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO and Web of Science. The search informed how the concept manifested across health-related literature. We used PRISMA-ScR checklist to guide the reporting of this review.

RESULTS

Based on the analysis of 25 included articles, a conceptual definition of decisional regret was proposed. Three defining attributes underscored the negative cognitive-emotional nature of this concept, post-decisional experience relating to the decision-making process, treatment option and/or treatment outcome and an immediate or delayed occurrence. Antecedents preceding decisional regret comprised initial psychological or emotional status, sociodemographic determinants, impaired decision-making process, role regret, conflicting treatment plans and adverse treatment outcomes. Consequences of this concept included positive and negative outcomes influencing quality of life, health expectations, patient-provider relationship and healthcare experience appraisal. A conceptual model was developed to summarize the concept's characteristics.

CONCLUSION

The current knowledge on decisional regret is expected to evolve with further exploration of this concept, particularly for the temporal dimension of regret experience. This review identified research, clinical and policy gaps informing our nursing recommendations for the concept's evolution.

NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

This concept analysis examines existing literature and does not require patient-related data collection. The methodological approach does not necessitate collaboration with the public.

Ninety Percent of Patients Are Satisfied With Their Decision to Undergo Spine Surgery for Degenerative Conditions

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey and retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

OBJECTIVE

To explore how patients perceive their decision to pursue spine surgery for degenerative conditions and evaluate factors correlated with decisional regret.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Prior research shows that one-in-five older adults regret their decision to undergo spinal deformity surgery. However, no studies have investigated decisional regret in patients with degenerative conditions.

METHODS

Patients who underwent cervical or lumbar spine surgery for degenerative conditions (decompression, fusion, or disk replacement) between April 2017 and December 2020 were included. The Ottawa Decisional Regret Questionnaire was implemented to assess prevalence of decisional regret. Questionnaire scores were used to categorize patients into low (<40) or medium/high (≥40) decisional regret cohorts. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) included the Oswestry Disability Index, Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Back/Leg/Arm, and Neck Disability Index at preoperative, early postoperative (<6 mo), and late postoperative (≥6 mo) timepoints. Differences in demographics, operative variables, and PROMs between low and medium/high decisional regret groups were evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 295 patients were included (mean follow-up: 18.2 mo). Overall, 92% of patients agreed that having surgery was the right decision, and 90% would make the same decision again. In contrast, 6% of patients regretted the decision to undergo surgery, and 7% noted that surgery caused them harm. In-hospital complications (P=0.02) and revision fusion (P=0.026) were significantly associated with higher regret. The medium/high decisional regret group also exhibited significantly worse PROMs at long-term follow-up for all metrics except VAS-Arm, and worse achievement of minimum clinically important difference for Oswestry Disability Index (P=0.007), Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (P<0.0001), and VAS-Leg (P<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher decisional regret was encountered in the setting of need for revision fusion, increased in-hospital complications, and worse PROMs. However, 90% of patients overall were satisfied with their decision to undergo spine surgery for degenerative conditions. Current tools for assessing patient improvement postoperatively may not adequately capture the psychosocial values and patient expectations implicated in decisional regret.

Effectiveness of interventions to improve adherence to antidepressant medication in patients with depressive disorders: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Aim

To assess the effectiveness of two interventions of knowledge transfer and behavior modification to improve medication adherence in patients with depressive disorders.

Methods

An open, multicenter, three-arm clinical trial with random allocation by cluster to usual care or to one of the two interventions. The intervention for psychiatrists (PsI) included an educational program based on a patient-centered care model. The intervention for patients and relatives (PtI) included a collaborative care program plus a reminder system that works using an already available medication reminder application. The primary outcome was patient adherence to antidepressant treatment assessed through the Sidorkiewicz Adherence Instrument. Secondary measures were depression severity, comorbid anxiety and health-related quality of life. Mixed regression models with repeated measures were used for data analysis.

Results

Ten psychiatrists and 150 patients diagnosed with depressive disorder from eight Community Mental Health Units in the Canary Islands (Spain) were included. Compared with usual care, no differences in long-term adherence were observed in either group PsI or PtI. The PsI group had significantly improved depression symptoms (B = -0.39; 95%CI: -0.65, -0.12; p = 0.004) during the follow-up period. The PtI group presented improved depression symptoms (B = -0.63; 95%CI: -0.96, -0.30; p < 0.001) and mental quality of life (B = 0.08; 95%CI: 0.004, 0.15; p = 0.039) during the follow-up period.

Conclusion

The assessed interventions to improve adherence in patients with depressive disorder were effective for depression symptoms and mental quality of life, even over the long term. However, no effect on antidepressant adherence was observed.

Patient-reported outcome measures and surgery for Crohn's disease: systematic review

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease with up to 50 per cent of patients requiring surgery within 10 years of diagnosis. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are vital to monitor and assess patient health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This systematic review aims to evaluate PROMs within studies for perioperative Crohn's disease patients.

METHODS

Articles from MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare and CINAHL databases were searched to find studies relating to the assessment of HRQoL in perioperative Crohn's disease patients using PROMs and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) from 1st January 2015 to 22nd October 2023. Bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool was used for non-randomized interventional studies and the Cochrane RoB2 tool was used for randomized trials.

RESULTS

1714 journal articles were filtered down to eight studies. Six studies focused on ileocaecal resection, one on perianal fistulas and one on the effects of cholecystectomy on patients with Crohn's disease. Within these articles, ten different PROM tools were identified (8 measures of HRQoL and 2 measures of functional outcome). Overall improvements in patient HRQoL pre- to postoperative for ileocaecal Crohn's disease were found in both paediatric and adult patients. Outcomes were comparable in patients in remission, with or without stoma, but were worse in patients with a stoma and active disease.

CONCLUSION

There are significant variations in how PROMs are used to evaluate perioperative Crohn's disease outcomes and a need for consensus on how tools are used. Routine assessments using an internationally accepted online platform can be used to monitor patients and support areas of treatment pathways that require further support to ensure high standards of care. They also enable future statistical comparisons in quantitative reviews and meta-analyses.

Associations between perceptions of shared decision making and health among hysterectomy patients: A prospective observational study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate patient and clinical factors that are associated with perceptions of shared decision making between hysterectomy patients and surgeons and to evaluate associations between shared decision making and postoperative health.

METHODS

This study is based on a prospective cohort scheduled for hysterectomy for benign conditions in Vancouver, Canada. Validated patient-reported outcomes assessed shared decision making, pelvic health, depression, and pain. Regression analyses measured the association between perceptions of shared decision making with patient and clinical factors. Then, associations between shared decision making with postoperative pelvic health, pain and depression were evaluated using regression analysis and adjusted for patient and clinical factors.

RESULTS

In this study, 308 participants completed preoperative measures, and a subset of 146 participants also completed the postoperative measures. More than 50% of participants reported less than optimal shared decision making scores. No significant associations were identified between patients' perceptions of shared decision making with patients' age, comorbidities, socioeconomic factors, indication for surgery, or preoperative depression and pain. Regression analyses found that higher/better self-reported shared decision making scores were associated with fewer postoperative pelvic organ symptoms (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Many patients' reporting lower than optimal scores on the shared decision making instrument highlight the opportunity to improve surgeon-patient communication in this surgical cohort. Strengthening shared decision making between surgeons and their patients may be associated with improved self-reported postoperative health.

Mapping the literature on decision regret in patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs): a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Decision regret refers to feelings of remorse or dissatisfaction with a decision made regarding the treatment. Mapping the meaningful aspects of decision regret in patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is necessary to provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon and inform the development of effective interventions to address it. For this reason, this protocol aimed to describe the methodological aspects of a scoping review focused on mapping all the meaningful aspects of decision regret in patients with NCDs and provide a conceptual and comprehensive framework of the phenomenon.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The study described in this protocol will be performed following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews. The anticipated starting time is July/August 2023 and the anticipated end of the review is June 2024. This scoping review will include quantitative, qualitative, primary and secondary literature, as well as grey literature on decision regret in patients with NCDs. The systematic search will be performed by consulting PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. English-language articles from any context will be eligible for inclusion. Two independent reviewers will take part in an iterative process of evaluating literature, choosing papers and extracting data. Disagreements among reviewers will be solved through consensus meetings. Results will be presented in relation to the review question by employing tables, figures and narrative summaries.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This scoping review did not require ethical approval since it involves a literature review and does not include new data collection from human participants. The results of the review will provide a summary of the available literature on decision regret experienced by patients with NCDs, which is crucial for developing preventive educational interventions in situations where multiple therapeutic options are available.

Decision Reversibility and Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Counterfactual Thinking and Anticipated Regret

Purpose

Extensive research has shown that reversible decisions yield lower post-decision satisfaction than irreversible decisions. However, to date, little is known about how decision reversibility affects post-decision satisfaction. Based on regret theory, this study aimed to examine the mediating role of counterfactual thinking and anticipated regret in the association between decision reversibility and satisfaction.

Methods

In this study (130 participants), participants were randomly assigned to two personnel decision situations with reversible and irreversible decision outcomes, and all participants completed questionnaires during the process of completing the decision task. The questionnaires used included the Counterfactual Thinking for Negative Events Scale, Anticipated Regret Scale, and satisfaction questionnaire. Finally, the data were statistically analyzed using the base package in R and PROCESS 3.5.

Results

The results show that (1) Compared to irreversible decisions, reversible decisions have a significant negative impact on satisfaction. (2) Counterfactual thinking plays a mediating role between decision reversibility and satisfaction. (3) Compared with irreversible decisions, reversible decisions further lowered the level of post-decision satisfaction through the chain mediating effects of counterfactual thinking and anticipated regret.

Conclusion

People's lowered levels of post-decision satisfaction in the reversible decision condition relate to increased levels of counterfactual thinking and anticipated regret. In addition, counterfactual thinking can play a mediating role alone, indicating that this variable may be critical in understanding the mechanisms by which decision reversibility affects satisfaction. This knowledge may be used to help people optimize their decision-making behavior.