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Decision aids may ease patient uncertainty in hand surgery
NCT ID NCT01693094
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether giving patients with hand problems like carpal tunnel syndrome or trigger finger a decision aid—a booklet with clear information about their condition and treatment options—helps them feel more satisfied and less conflicted about their choices. About 126 adults will be randomly assigned to receive the decision aid or usual care. The goal is to see if this simple tool improves decision-making and outcomes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- decision aid (educational materials and values clarification exercises)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that simple decision aids help patients feel more confident and satisfied with their treatment choices.
- What could go wrong
- This trial is small (126 patients) and suspended, so results may not be reliable or generalizable. It tests a behavioral tool, not a medical treatment, so the impact is limited.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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126 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2014
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 and above * Diagnosis of moderate or severe: 2.) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 5.) Trigger Finger (TF) Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with previous interventions for CTS or TF * Inability to complete enrollment forms due to any mental status or language problems (e.g. dementia, head injury, overall illness).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Does mixing numbing agent into steroid shots ease hand pain?
- Splint showdown: which brace best beats trigger finger?
- Can targeted exercises boost relief for cubital tunnel syndrome?
- Blood protein may reveal how severe carpal tunnel syndrome is
- Can a simple video boost wrist surgery recovery?
- X-Ray clues could spare some patients from wrist surgery