Implications for research and /or practice
Future scientific research should include studies on how the e-tool
improves vaginal health care: for instance implementing the e-tool in GP
practice and assess its contribution to the improvement of vaginal
health care, and preferably for different clinical problems/ ilnesses.
Decision aids can add to usual care, to improve patients’ knowledge,
clarity about preferences and risk perceptions, to enhance a more active
role in decision making. 27 Additional benefits with
implementation such as usage, shared decision making and clinical
outcome will yet have to be explored and realized. 28,
29
The tool actually has the potential to improve vaginal care, for example
contributing to preventive solutions/ structural help (some women who
received treatment after treatment from their GPs) and assisting with
psychological side effects of vaginal symptoms (it would affect personal
sex lives as well) 30. The e-tool could also play a
role with regard to the streamlining of new developments such as the
decisionmaking of clinician taken vs. self-taken vaginal swabs31. Additionally, it has the potential to alleviate
the workload of GPs and empower women.