title: Feasibility and acceptability to patients of a longitudinal system for evaluating cancer-related symptoms and quality of life: pilot study of an e/Tablet data-collection system in academic oncology.
abstract: Programmed, notebook-style, personal computers ("e/Tablets") can collect symptom and quality-of-life (QOL) data at the point of care. Patients use an e/Tablet in the clinic waiting area to complete electronic surveys. Information then travels wirelessly to a server, which generates a real-time report for use during the clinical visit. The objective of this study was to determine whether academic oncology patients find e/Tablets logistically acceptable and a satisfactory means of communicating symptoms to providers during repeated clinic visits. Sixty-six metastatic breast cancer patients at Duke Breast Cancer Clinic participated. E/Tablets were customized to electronically administer a satisfaction/acceptability survey, several validated questionnaires, and the Patient Care Monitor (PCM) review of symptoms survey. At each of the four visits within six months, participants completed the patient satisfaction/acceptability survey, which furnished data for the current analysis. Participant demographics were: mean age of 54 years, 77% Caucasian, and 47% with less than a college education. Participants reported that e/Tablets were easy to read (94%), easy to navigate (99%), and had a comfortable weight (90%); they found it easy to respond to questions using the e/Tablet (98%). Seventy-five percent initially indicated satisfaction with PCM for reporting symptoms; this proportion increased over time. By the last visit, 88% of participants indicated that they would recommend the PCM to other patients; 74% felt that the e/Tablet helped them remember symptoms to report to their clinician. E/Tablets offered a feasible and acceptable method for collecting longitudinal patient-reported symptom and QOL data within an academic, tertiary care, breast cancer clinic.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Center for Clinical Health Policy Research, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3436, 1 Trent Drive, Durham, NC 27710 USA. amy.abernethy@duke.edu
authors.forename: Amy P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Abernethy
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Herndon
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: Jeannette M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hood
authors.forename: Meenal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patwardhan
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Herbert Kim
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lyerly
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003625:Data Collection; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008838:Microcomputers; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors