When clinicians used a decision aid with parents of children with minor head trauma, healthcare utilization safely decreased seven days after injury, according to a study in JAMA Network Open.
Here are four things to know:
1. Study authors conducted a cluster, randomized trial in seven U.S. emergency departments between April 1, 2014 and Sept. 30, 2016. Researchers enrolled 172 clinicians caring for 971 children with minor head trauma at intermediate risk of clinically important traumatic brain injuries.
2. Clinicians were randomly assigned to use the Head CT Choice decision aid or provide usual care.
3. Parents in the decision aid group had greater knowledge, less decisional conflict and were more involved in CT decision making than parents in the usual care group.
4. While the ED CT rate did not differ significantly, the average number of imaging tests was lower in the decision aid group seven days after injury onset. No child had a missed clinically important traumatic brain injury.