For a study, researchers sought to adapt a preliminary Question prompt lists (QPL) developed by professionals, tailor-made for adults diagnosed with GERD, based on the viewpoints and opinions of patients. Patient feedback and opinions were used to alter a preliminary GERD QPL. Around 38 patients with a clinical diagnosis of GERD who were monitored at the Esophageal Clinic at Stanford University between January and November 2019 approved to change of the preliminary version of the 78-question expert QPL. Patients independently rated each question on a Likert scale from 1 (should not be included) to 5 (essential) after receiving the QPL in Qualtrics (Provo, UT) via a direct email invitation. The scale ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 meaning “should not be included,” 2 meaning “unimportant,” and 3 meaning “don’t know/depends,” 4=” significant,” and 5=”essential.” An a priori interagreement of at least 80% placing the question in the range of 4 to 5 required a question to be considered for inclusion in the QPL. About 23 patients diagnosed with GERD (19 of which were female, and their median age was 64) fully participated in the study and modified the previously established QPL (60.5%). About 66 of 78 items from the preliminary GERD QPL were chosen to be included in the final survey. This represented an acceptance rate of 84.6%. The survey that asked patients to rate the importance of a question found that the question “what behaviors, foods, and drinks do I need to avoid” had the highest percentage of positive responses. (82.6%). In 9 patients provided additional questions, bringing the total number of questions to 16. These questions included “What kinds of operations are there to help GERD?,” “What stage is my GERD?,” and “What are the symptoms of GERD?” “What are the chances/percentage that you may develop cancer because of GERD?” The final GERD QPL, developed by esophageal specialists and amended by patients, comprised 82 questions after the recommended questions were incorporated. Although there were some differences in point of view, esophageal specialists and people who were diagnosed with GERD had a high level of consensus on the most critical topics. In subsequent research, it might be possible to condense this list and assess how a standardized GERD QPL influenced patients’ decisional problems and their sense of involvement in their care.
Source – journals.lww.com/jcge/Abstract/2022/08000/Question_Prompt_List_as_a_Communication_Tool_for.4.aspx
