Table 4 Key findings from four studies assessing perceived decision difficulty

Bonetti 2005, UK [16]

RCT (A&F & ERM)

Baseline 214 GPs, 10 scenarios

Order lumbar x-ray for back pain (yes or no)

Yes decisions summed per GP

Scores summed per GP

Follow-up

10-point difficulty scale^a

Baseline mean scores:

Baseline mean scores:

152 GPs, 10 scenarios

No A&F 3.59; A&F 3.70

No A&F 40.09; A&F 39.53

No ERM 3.75; ERM 3.55

No ERM 40.82; ERM 38.77

Follow-up mean scores:

Follow-up mean scores:

No A&F 3.47; A&F 3.14^*

No A&F 41.16; A&F 38.61^*

No ERM 3.60; ERM 3.01^*

No ERM 40.31; ERM 39.46

Carroll 2011, Canada [17]

RCT (KT)

Baseline 80 GPs, 10 scenarios

Refer women with different HBOC risk (yes or no)

Appropriate decisions summed per GP

Scores summed per GP

Follow-up

7-point difficulty scale^a

Baseline mean scores:

Baseline mean scores:

80 GPs, 10 scenarios

Control 7.1; KT 6.5

Control: 30.7; KT: 32.8

Follow-up^b mean scores:

Follow-up^b mean scores:

Control 6.4; KT 7.8^*

Control: 33.4; KT: 29.7

Short 2003, UK [20]

Before & after (CDSS)

15 GPs, 10 scenarios

Prescribe aspirin for stroke (15 point scale^c)

Across 9 scenarios where prescribing appropriate, overall shift 116 points towards prescribing

Mean scale scores:

5-point difficulty scale^d,e

Before = 2.7; After = 3.1

Lynggaard 2006, Denmark [19]

Questionnaire^f

55 GPs, 5 scenarios

Prescribe for hypertension

% GPs prescribing per scenario:

% ‘easy’ decisions per scenario:

3-point difficulty scale^g

96%; 85%; 96%; 56%; 63%

83%; 67%; 80%; 50%; 50%