title: A computer-assisted data collection system for use in a multicenter study of American Indians and Alaska Natives: SCAPES.
abstract: We describe a computer-assisted data collection system developed for a multicenter cohort study of American Indian and Alaska Native people. The study computer-assisted participant evaluation system or SCAPES is built around a central database server that controls a small private network with touch screen workstations. SCAPES encompasses the self-administered questionnaires, the keyboard-based stations for interviewer-administered questionnaires, a system for inputting medical measurements, and administrative tasks such as data exporting, backup and management. Elements of SCAPES hardware/network design, data storage, programming language, software choices, questionnaire programming including the programming of questionnaires administered using audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI), and participant identification/data security system are presented. Unique features of SCAPES are that data are promptly made available to participants in the form of health feedback; data can be quickly summarized for tribes for health monitoring and planning at the community level; and data are available to study investigators for analyses and scientific evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States. roger.edwards@hsc.utah.edu
authors.forename: Roger L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Sandra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bryner
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Slattery
mesh_terms: D044467:American Indian or Alaska Native / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003628:Database Management Systems; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D012984:Software; D014584:User-Computer Interface