The need for personalization when sharing results of amyloid imaging for Alzheimer's disease: Insights from a randomized experimental study

Objective: To study information needs after receiving abnormal amyloid-PET results, and how individual characteristics moderate effects of different communication strategies on information recall. Methods: In an online video-vignette experiment, seven vignettes each depicted a consultation of a physician sharing abnormal amyloid-PET results with a patient with Mild Cognitive Impairment(MCI), using different communication strategies. Healthy individuals (N = 1017; age 64 ± 8, 808(79 %) female), instructed to imagine themselves as the video-patient, viewed a randomly-assigned vignette and completed questionnaires to assess information needs and test moderation effects of gender, age, care-partner experience, health literacy, and coping. Results: Sixty-three percent of participants (645/1017) would have liked to receive more information, e.g., on prognosis, additional information sources, lifestyle advice, and/or treatment. Emotional support benefited information recall in women, but not men. Emotional support and visually presenting the PET-scan were less beneficial for individuals with a stronger avoidant coping style, compared to most other strategies. Conclusion: Most people wanted more information on varying topics, and gender and coping style influenced how communication strategies impacted information recall. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS The importance of personalized information provision was emphasized, both in terms of what information is provided and how physicians share information, by paying attention to individuals’ needs and characteristics.