Table 5 Perceptions of active components

Challenging preconceived ideas

I think it really highlights the problems that they are experiencing is due to their poorly controlled diabetes, whereas previously I think they just would have thought, oh it’s because I’m getting older [Interview E Clinician] what do you think of straightway, he’s a druggie, that’s the last thing I want to be even thought of, so there’s that side of it [Interview D Patient on preconceptions of insulin therapy]

Increasing knowledge base

I think she had a better understanding. She certainly was more aware of complications with diabetes. [Interview A Clinician] but I didn’t realise that you could get heart disease through diabetes, you know [Interview A Patient] I think if you don’t use the decision aid it’s very sort of doctor looking at figures saying ‘I’m going to have to refer you’ and then it’s like they don’t know why and all they know is that we’re referring you. So I think when you use the decision aid I think they actually have much more understanding [Interview B Patient]

Rehearsal and prompt for agenda setting and structuring of the consultation

It has guided my consultation into a more, probably more thorough and more focused path to what it was before [Interview D Clinician] It helped me to understand where she's coming from. [Interview E Patient] I mean he had his open on the desk. So that was sort of an indirect way of letting me know that he was quite happy to look at it [Interview G Clinician]