Objectives To develop and user-test a patient decision aid for people diagnosed with degenerative cervical myelopathy and who are considering surgery. Setting A draft decision aid was developed by a multidisciplinary steering group (including study authors with degenerative cervical myelopathy, health professionals and researchers) informed by the best available evidence, authorship consensus and existing patient decision aids.
Participants Patient-participants and health professional-participants who manage people with degenerative cervical myelopathy were recruited through social media and the steering group’s research and practice network. Quantitative questionnaires were used to gather baseline data, descriptive feedback, refine the decision aid and assess its acceptability.
Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted online to gather feedback on the decision aid and were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results We conducted 32 interviews: 19 patient-participants and 13 health professional-participants who manage people with degenerative cervical myelopathy (neurosurgeons, neurologists, physiotherapists, orthopaedic surgeons, general practitioners, rehabilitation and pain specialists and consultant occupational physicians and chiropractors).
Participants were from 10 countries (Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and USA).
BMJ Open published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 03 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on Development and acceptability of a patient decision aid for people with degenerative cervical myelopathy: an international mixed-methods study.
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