Computerized quality-of-life screening in a cancer pain clinic.
METHODS
To determine the utility and acceptability to patients and staff of a computerized quality-of-life (QOL) screening program in a tertiary ambulatory cancer pain clinic, patients were administered the computerized EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire. A report summarizing this QOL information was given to clinic staff prior to each patient's appointment. Both the patient and the clinical staff were surveyed afterwards.


RESULTS
Although more than half of the 46 patients had never used a computer before, almost all reported that the program was easy to use and understand, enjoyable, helpful, and quick. Their attitudes toward computers significantly improved from pre- to post-assessment. Staff found the QOL information to be appropriate and useful.


CONCLUSIONS
The computerized questionnaire was readily used by patients and was helpful to pain clinic staff, making it an appropriate tool for identifying important QOL problems and issues in busy clinical settings, even for inexperienced computer users with significant functional impairment.
Carlson
L E
LE
Department of Psychosocial Resources, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Speca
M
M
Hagen
N
N
Taenzer
P
P
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000416:Alberta; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*