title: GAP: a computer-assisted design tool for the development and analysis of evidence-based automated questionnaires.
abstract: This paper describes the design and use of a computer-assisted design tool for developing evidence-based automated questionnaires that may assist health practitioners to implement clinical practice guidelines. The Guideline Application Program (GAP) facilitates the design, development, testing, customization, and implementation of interactive patient-computer questionnaires, the analysis of patient-derived information, and the clinical application of practice guidelines that require knowledge of multiple patient-specific characteristics. GAP is being used to create a variety of software applications for HealthQuiz and Microsoft Windows-compatible computers. GAP-generated applications are presently used to support preventive care guideline implementation in primary care settings, preoperative screening in anesthesia clinics, student health screening in Universities, hormone replacement counseling for peri-menopausal women, and patient-reported data collection in various clinical research projects.
authors.affiliation: Health Information Research Unit, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hogeterp
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Langton
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Summerell
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Roizen
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D008838:Microcomputers; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000295:instrumentation; D012984:Software; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014584:User-Computer Interface