We will begin by developing Decision box prototypes for 10 clinical conditions or topics based on a review of the research on risk communication.
The concept of relating nutritional status to severity of disease is well recognized, as displayed for example in the decision box, which emphasizes the need for acting on possible further impairment of nutritional status during the clinical course of the disease.
In contrast to these two types of tools, the Decision box is primarily intended for healthcare professionals.
For each Decision Box received, they will be prompted to complete a web-based questionnaire (Additional file 1).
Each email will also contain links to (1) the web-based tutorial, and (2) a web-based questionnaire for assessing each Decision Box.
Each Decision box will begin by describing the intervention for which a decision is required.
They will also rate their interest for each of the eight Decision Box topics using a visual analogue scale ranging from "no interest" to "great interest".
We would like to thank Drs Lisa Schwartz and Steve Woloshin for their advice on the development and evaluation of the Decision box.
Additional benefits of this project include the development of a website hosting the Decision Boxes, further facilitating access for clinicians, researchers, and patients.
The objectives of this study are to provide a framework for developing Decision boxes and testing their value to users.
