Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The Affordable Care Act and Medicare identify the need of a shared-decision model in health care. This model would improve patients’ quality of life by removing the information barrier that currently exists between patient and physician. Using the shared-decision model and current technology, I developed a decision tool that facilitates the ability to make a timely shared decision. This tool has significant public health importance, in that improved decision making can add to the individual’s quality of life. The developed decision tool receives decisions from patients in regards to 28 questions over 8 specifically chosen criteria that have significant importance to patients with brain metastases, while the physician criteria has 5 patient specific factors that have significant importance in treatment options. All 8 patient criteria and 5 physician adjustment factors are reviewed in the literature to support the weighted impact on the treatment options: best supportive care, stereotactic radiosurgery, and whole brain radiotherapy. Both patient and physician criteria are next analyzed within a custom developed matrix across the treatment options. The matrix design is based on a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to calculate, rank, and show to a degree the best option in form of percentage fit for each treatment option. The final result can then be used in the discussion between patient and physician for developing a treatment pathway.
Author: D. Marvin Jones
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2520284599