Shared Decision Making in Older Adults With Distal Radius Fractures

This is a study to investigate the use of a Decision Aid for shared decision making in older adults with distal radius fractures. The goal is to improve patient decisions making, and improve patient knowledge through the use of a validated decision aid.

Shared decision making has become a increasingly important with the goal of helping patients make decisions that more align with patients values and goals. Decision aids are validated instruments that provide unbiased information and guide patients through questions that allow patients to clarify patients goals. Older adults with distal radius fractures have increasing evidence of ability to tolerate residual deformity with little to no functional deficits, which has called into question the indications for surgery. In situations where the operative indications are not clear, it is important to engage the patient in the risk and benefits of the decision. This trial is a prospective trial with two groups, one standard of care, and one with the decision aid.

This group will not be exposed to the decision aid. Patients will complete the same surveys, and will be followed for the same length of time.

This group will be exposed to the decision aid before the patients appointment with the surgeon. Patients will also complete the same outcome surveys, and will be followed for the same length of time.

Decision aid which is still under revision will include unbiased information to assist is clarifying values and informing patients with distal radius fractures.

Inclusion Criteria: Distal radius fracture within the past 2 weeks Initial appointment seeing Attending Age 65+ Exclusion Criteria: Non english speaker Dementia or other mental limitation preventing ability to complete survey Other traumatic injuries in extremity that would affect surgical decision