AN EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION AS DECISION-SUPPORT FOR MENOPAUSAL WOMEN

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a decision support i ntervention (DSI) to assist women to make and act on informed decision s that are consistent with their values in the area of menopause and h ormone replacement therapy (HRT). Mode and intensity of intervention w ere tested in midlife women (N = 248), randomly assigned to one of thr ee intervention formats: written information only, guided discussion, or personalized decision exercise. Data were collected over 12 months. Knowledge, decisional conflict, satisfaction with health care provide r, and self-efficacy improved following intervention and were maintain ed for 12 months for all groups. Women's adherence to their own plans over 12 months was 59% (exercise), 76% (calcium intake), and 89% (HRT) . Carefully written information is effective in promoting knowledge, a dherence, and satisfaction among well-educated, interested women. It w as concluded that women can understand complex information, including tradeoffs regarding treatment options. Women wilt adhere to their own plans, suggesting that consumer rather than provider plans may be the more appropriate gold standard for measuring adherence. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.