title: Use of tablet personal computers for sensitive patient-reported information.
abstract: Notebook-style computers (e/Tablets) are increasingly replacing paper methods for collecting patient-reported information. Discrepancies in data between these methods have been found in oncology for sexuality-related questions. A study was performed to formulate hypotheses regarding causes for discrepant responses and to analyze whether electronic data collection adds value over paper-based methods when collecting data on sensitive topics. A total of 56 breast cancer patients visiting Duke Breast Clinic (North Carolina) participated by responding to 12 subscales of 5 survey instruments in electronic (e/Tablet) format and to a paper version of 1 of these surveys, at each visit. Twenty-one participants (38%) provided dissimilar responses on paper and electronic surveys to one item of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) Social Well-Being scale that asked patients to rate their satisfaction with their current sex life. Among these 21 patients were 8 patients who answered the question in the electronic environment, and 13 patients who answered both paper and electronic versions but with different responses. Eleven patients (29%) did not respond to the item on either e/Tablet or paper; 45 patients (80%) answered it on e/Tablet; and 37 patients (66%) responded on the paper version. The e/Tablet electronic system may provide a "safer" environment than paper questionnaires for cancer patients to answer private or highly personal questions on sensitive topics such as sexuality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dupont
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Herndon
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coan
authors.forename: S Yousuf
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Zafar
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hood
authors.forename: Meenal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patwardhan
authors.forename: Heather S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: H Kim
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lyerly
authors.forename: Amy P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Abernethy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D003201:Computers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003219:Confidentiality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019529:Sexuality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires