Evaluation of a patient decision aid for Japanese women with BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants: A preliminary study

Aim This study aimed to evaluate a decision aid for Japanese women (J‐DA) with BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants for supporting breast and ovarian cancer management decisions. Methods This study used a pre‐ and post‐intervention design. The participants included Japanese women with BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants who needed to make a decision regarding breast and ovarian cancer management options. Results All 25 participants completed the pre‐ and posttests. There was a significant reduction in the decisional conflict scale and a significant increase in the knowledge score. Significant improvements were identified in the decisional conflict scale score ( g = 0.60, p = .002) and knowledge score ( g = −1.44, p < .001). Four weeks post‐intervention, 96% of the participants had made a decision regarding the management options for breast or ovarian care. Conclusions The findings suggest that the decision aid (J‐DA) positively supported the decision‐making of the Japanese women with BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants. As this study apparently represents the first evaluation of a decision aid for this population, subsequent studies are anticipated to further confirm its clinical applicability and utility.