title: Cancer symptom control: feasibility of a tailored, interactive computerized program for patients.
abstract: This study evaluated the feasibility of an innovative computerized symptom assessment tool, SymptomReport, and a computerized, tailored education tool, SymptomConsult, in a sample of 41 outpatients with cancer. After patients completed the computerized programs, an audiotaped telephone interview was conducted to assess patients' impressions. The study found that patients required less than 40 minutes on average to complete SymptomReport. The mean acceptability score was high 11 +/- 2. The 12 patients who completed SymptomConsult did so in an average of 20 minutes. The majority of participants indicated that the computer programs were easy, enjoyable, and informative tools. Initial formative research supports further study of these feasible computerized programs.
authors.affiliation: Biobehavioral Nursing & Health Systems Department, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wilkie
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Berry
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: N Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gralow
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lindsley
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fitzgibbon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D005221:Fatigue / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D012648:Self Care; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014861:Washington