Assisting in Decisions in Emergency Departments: (ED-AID) Study

University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Emergencies; Suicide

Treatments: Behavioral: Decision Aid

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03478501

R34MH113539-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

17-2299

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will test a patient decision aid about safe firearm storage during suicidal crisis. The investigators hypothesize that participants with higher quality decisions after the decision aid will be more likely to change their firearm storage to reduce access during the time of crisis.

Full description

Limiting access to a firearms during suicidal crisis can save lives. This study will test a patient decision aid about safe firearm storage during crisis. The investigators will enroll 60 adult emergency department patients being evaluated for suicidal risk and have at least one firearm at home. If available, the investigators will also enroll a family member or friend. Participants will randomly receive one of two things: the decision aid or general suicide prevention information. A week later, the investigators will call participants to see how both groups choose to store their firearms. This trial tests the acceptability of the decision aid, effects on decision making, effect on home storage, effect on suicide outcomes, and feasibility of a larger trial. The investigators hypothesize that participants with higher quality decisions after the decision aid will be more likely to change their firearm storage to reduce access during the time of crisis; should the pilot demonstrate feasibility, in a subsequent larger trial this hypothesis would be tested directly.

Enrollment: 49 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 89 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Being evaluated in the emergency department for suicidal ideation/suicide attempt
• Deemed medically stable by ED physician
• Age greater than or equal to 18 years old
• Able and willing to have telephone follow up at 1 week
• Report at least one firearm in the home

Exclusion criteria

• Unable to participate medically or cognitively (e.g. sustained altered level of consciousness, hostility, psychosis, sexual assault victim, severe vomiting or pain)
• Currently in legal custody
• Live in group home or other supervised custody
• Already enrolled

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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49 participants in 2 patient groups

Decision Aid Group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm will view the decision aid on a tablet in the emergency department.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Decision Aid

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm will be asked to review general suicide prevention information on a tablet in the emergency department.