Observational StudyWiki Head CT Choice Study: Adaptation of US Two Decision Aids to a Québec Local Context

This step includes a translation of the tools (English to French) and a redesign work of the original tools. Then, the study will include clinicians (at least 20) from two healthcare settings (CHU Sainte-Justine, and the CISSS-CA (Hotel-Dieu de Levis). After a presentation of the two tools during the Emergency Physicians' departmental meetings, the written comments about the prototype version will be collected. A revision of the prototypes is scheduled at the end of this step.

This step will include the assessment of the tools by patients (or parents of patients) that have had a previous mTBI at the CISSS-CA (Hotel-Dieu de Levis). The comments about the adult and pediatric prototypes (5 adult patients, 5 parents of pediatric patients) will be collected through interviews. A revision of the prototypes is scheduled at the end of this step.

This step will include a presentation of the tools to 5 emergency physicians so that they can use the tools with patients (5 adults, 5 parents of pediatric patients) in a realistic setting to identify any problems of use. The clinicians and patients that had used the tools during the clinical encounters will be then met during cognitive interviews to collect their comments on the tools and to address any usability issues. A final revision of the prototypes is scheduled at the end of this step.

This step includes the development of a training session on how to perform SDM with patients facing the decision to undergo head CTs for mTBI and about how to use our newly developed decision aids in this clinical setting. The content of the training session will be adapted to the needs, goals, strengths and limitations observed during the focus groups (departmental meetings) exploring health professionals' barriers to using a decision aid about head CTs in mTBI. The expertise of SAVIE (www.savie.ca) in producing online and interactive elearning programs will be mobilized in order to produce a training program that will integrate the content the investigators will have identified as the main skills, knowledge and competencies needing development among our health professionals to stimulate the use of SDM and our decision aids. SAVIE will produce a virtual elearning program adaptable to all media (PC, mobile device, tablet) and different health professionals.

This step will retrospectively analyze the medical records of traumatic brain injury adult patients (adult, 350, Hotel-Dieu de Levis) and pediatric patients (406, CHU de Sainte-Justine and Hotel-Dieu de Levis)) randomly selected throughout the year preceding this study in each of the two centers to determine the rate of head CT ordering, the head CT result and the appropriateness of having ordered the head CT based on the CCHR and PECARN criteria. One reviewer will judge the appropriateness of having done a CT scan according to the CCHR and PECARN criteria based on a structured extraction form that will previously be approved by the study's steering committee. To ensure validity, 10% of the analysis will be reviewed by an expert. The reviewer will look at prehospital data collection, triage information, physician's notes, nursing notes and head CT requisition form information to determine if any of the clinical decision rule criteria are present.

Study coordinators will identify potentially eligible parent/patient dyads and adult patients based on a chief complaint related to head trauma recorded at the time of ED registration and communication with treating clinicians in realtime. After using the decision aid with their health professional, a cognitive interview session will then be organized with the dyads of participants (parents/patients and clinicians) to address any usability issues. These interviews will be audio recorded and transcribed verbatim for content analysis and future reference. This process will allow to identify any conceptual barriers and unanticipated user needs. Written consent form will be signed by participants.