Development of a clinical decision-support tool for Management of Adolescent knee Pain (The MAP-Knee Tool)

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to develop a clinical decision-support tool (The MAP-Knee Tool) to improve the management of adolescents with non-traumatic knee pain.MethodsThis multi-step study consisted of five steps ((1-4) initial development and (5) end-user testing with adolescents with or without non-traumatic knee pain and medical doctors). It ended with the first version of the MAP-Knee Tool for the six most common non-traumatic knee pain conditions. The tool includes four components: 1) tool for diagnosing, 2) credible explanations of the diagnoses based on two systematic literature searches and an Argumentative Delphi process with international experts, 3) prognostic factors based on an individual participant data meta-analysis, and 4) option grid including an unbiased presentation of management options based on the available evidence.ResultsWe included seven children/adolescents (8-15 years old) and seven medical doctors for the end-user testing. All four components were revised accordingly, and the text was condensed as the initial draft was too comprehensive.ConclusionWe developed a clinical decision-support tool for clinicians and adolescents with non-traumatic knee pain to support the consultation in clinical practice.Practice ImplicationsThe tool targets clinicians and adolescents with four components that may decrease diagnostic uncertainty and increase shared decision-making.