Developing a prototype web-based decision aid for adults with hearing loss

To develop a prototype of a decision aid to be used on a website for adults with hearing loss. Design: Development was guided by the International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) and included a survey and think-aloud process. A total of 153 participants completed a survey about what to include in the decision aid (111 adults with hearing loss, 21 family members of adults with hearing loss, and 21 professionals). Six adults with hearing loss and six family members participated in a think-aloud process to provide feedback as they used an initial version of the decision aid. In the survey, 26 of the 38 potential items were identified as being highest priority and were included in the initial version of the decision aid. This initial version was then tested in the think-aloud sessions and a prototype of a web-based version was developed based on participant responses related to: 1) information on the decision aid, 2) ease of use, 3) layout and orders of the items, 4) satisfaction, 5) areas for improvement (e.g., need for graphics). The methodologies used in this study are recommended for developing decision aids for adults with acquired hearing loss.