Decision aids to help Veterans choose the best amputation level
Official title: The AMPDECIDE Patient Decision Aids: Empowering Veteran Participation in Personalized Amputation Level Decision-making
Funded at VA Puget Sound Healthcare System · NIH-11206915 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will build easy-to-use tools that show Veterans their personalized chances of outcomes for different lower-leg amputation levels so they can choose what fits their goals.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Puget Sound Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2024 |
| Project end | September 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX005018-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11206915 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans facing a dysvascular lower-limb amputation (due to diabetes or peripheral artery disease) who are making decisions about amputation level.
✕Less likely to help
People not facing amputation, those with traumatic or non-dysvascular amputations, or those unable to engage in shared decision-making may not benefit from these specific tools.
What this research studies
If you are a Veteran facing a lower-extremity amputation because of diabetes or peripheral artery disease, this project will provide decision aids that show your personalized risks for outcomes like survival, reamputation, and mobility at each amputation level. The team will combine your clinical information with existing outcome data to generate individualized risk estimates and guide conversations about what matters most to you. Veterans and clinicians will use these tools to support shared decision-making and clarify patient priorities and preferences. The decision aids will be tested and refined with Veteran feedback at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System before broader use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help Veterans pick an amputation level that better matches their values, improving mobility, quality of life, and satisfaction with care.
How similar studies have gone: Patient decision aids have improved shared decision-making in other surgical decisions, but personalized decision aids focused on amputation level are relatively new and not widely tested.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Henderson, Alison Wilhelm — VA Puget Sound Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Henderson, Alison Wilhelm
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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AMPDECIDE: Helping Veterans choose amputation level with personalized outcome information
A doctor helps a veteran facing leg amputation learn personalized risks and likely outcomes for different amputation levels to guide their care choices.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.