A Prototype of Patient Decision Aid for Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Abstract

According to a cross-country research in 2018, there are approximately 936 million people worldwide who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is almost ten times the World Health Organization estimate before ten years. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep. This means the brain and their body may not get enough oxygen which may cause the development and progression of cardiovascular conditions. Actually, different people may have different traits and value preferences, so each patient may have different opinions and choices about various clinical decisions facing this disease. In order to help medical staffs and patients with OSA to discuss more closely, the process of share decision making (SDM) based on the evidence is the most important information for the patient. Patient decision aid (PDA) can ensure that patients have the knowledge and tools necessary to make the best health decisions with as much assistance as they want and need from their clinicians. Therefore, this study regards SDM for OSA examination, diagnosis and treatment as a service system. First, explores the interaction between physicians and patients through observations and interviews. Then, we draw stakeholder map and customer’s journey map according to the result of the interviews to define the shared decision making gap for clinical diagnosis or disposition to reveal design opportunities. Finally, we used scenario to build the script and propose the visualized prototype of PDA, which could be the useful tool for SDM for OSA. This tool makes it easier for clinicians and patients to combine their own preferences and values before making medical decisions related to sleep apnea. Through the participation of clinical staffs and patients, it is hoped that this innovative service model can achieve the purpose of SDM and support patients to make medical decisions that more closely meet user needs.