2026 Wylie Scholar
Brianna Krafcik, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Vascular Surgery
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Wylie Research Focus: Enhancing Shared Decision Making for Patients with Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis
Date Awarded: 2026
“My research is focused on making vascular care more patient-centered by ensuring that patients have the information and support they need to meaningfully participate in decisions about their treatment. For patients with carotid artery disease, these decisions are increasingly complex, with several treatment options that carry different risks and benefits. My goal is to develop practical, evidence-based tools that help patients understand those choices and work with their physicians to select the treatment that best reflects their individual goals and values. Ultimately, I hope this work will create a more consistent and effective approach to shared decision-making that can improve the experience of vascular care for patients not only at our institution, but across the country.”
Dr. Brianna Krafcik, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Vascular Surgery at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, has been selected as the 2026 Wylie Scholar award recipient for her proposed project, Enhancing Shared Decision Making for Patients with Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis.
Carotid artery disease is an important cause of stroke. For patients with severe narrowing who have not yet experienced symptoms, choosing the right treatment can be particularly challenging. Patients may choose medications and lifestyle changes alone or undergo one of several procedures to improve blood flow, each with different risks, benefits, and recovery considerations. Despite the complexity of this decision—and patients’ desire to be meaningfully involved in their care—there is currently no widely available decision tool that clearly presents all contemporary treatment options.
This project addresses this critical gap by testing a new patient decision aid developed specifically for people with asymptomatic carotid artery disease. Created with input from patients and clinicians, the tool is designed to translate complex medical evidence into understandable information and help patients and their healthcare providers choose a treatment that reflects each patient’s goals, preferences, and values. Dr. Krafcik will test the decision aid with both patients and clinicians, evaluating whether it improves understanding and satisfaction, reduces uncertainty and regret surrounding treatment decisions, and can be readily incorporated into clinical practice.
The long-term goal is to transform how patients with carotid disease participate in decisions about their care. By giving patients the information and support they need to make informed, individualized choices, this work has the potential to improve the quality and patient-centeredness of vascular care. This study will also provide the critical foundation for a planned multicenter randomized trial, with the ultimate goal of developing a validated decision aid that can be used broadly in clinical practice.
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