Development and use of touch - screen computer-assisted self interviewing in Portuguese patients with chronic immune diseases: evaluation of an electronic version of sf-36v2 .
OBJECTIVE
The major purpose of this study was to evaluate alternative automated methods of collecting data on health related quality of life (HR-QoL). In order to achieve this, we developed a study with the following objectives: (1) to evaluated the feasibility of electronic version in patients with different chronic pathologies of the immune system using Short Form 36version2 (SF-36v2), (2) to evaluate the construct validity of SF-36v2 using the electronic data capture, and (3) to compare electronic version questionnaires with paper questionnaires in terms of patients' acceptance, data quality, and reliability.


METHODS
Out-patients with chronic immune diseases (HIV infection, lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, Behçet and Sjögren), were randomly selected to completed electronic and paper SF-36v2 (n=50) before consultation in Clinical Immunology Unit, in Hospital Santo António-Centro Hospitalar do Porto (CI-HGSA).


RESULTS
There were very high correlations in SF-36v2 responses (p< .001) between the paper and electronic forms. Internal reliability coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) showed good internal consistency for all reported responses in either, computer and paper. There were no missing data in electronic version or paper. About 84% of the patients prefer to use the computer version in future.


CONCLUSIONS
The electronic HR-QoL assessment is technically possible and it can provide reliable and valid clinically significant information which can either be used in routine care appointments.
Ribeiro
Claudia
C
Hospital de Santo António - Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Faculdade de Medicina Santiago de Compostela, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Campus Viseu, Viseu, Portugal. Claudiaribeiro.usc@gmail.com
Moreira
Luis
L
Silveira
Augusta
A
Silva
Isabel
I
Gestal
Juan
J
Vasconcelos
Carlos
C
D002908:Chronic Disease; D003201:Computers; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011174:Portugal; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires