title: Feasibility of using a handheld electronic device for the collection of patient reported outcomes data from children.
abstract: The manner in which a communication disorder affects health-related quality of life (QOL) in children is not known. Unfortunately, collection of quality of life data via traditional paper measures is labor intensive and has several other limitations, which hinder the investigation of pediatric quality of life in children. Currently, there is not sufficient research regarding the use of electronic devices to collect pediatric patient reported outcomes in order to address such limitations. Thus, we used a cross-over design to compare responses to a pediatric health quality of life instrument (PedsQL 4.0) delivered using a handheld electronic device to those from a traditional paper form. Respondents were children with (n=9) and without (n=10) a speech or voice disorder. For paper versus the electronic format, we examined time to completion, number of incomplete or inaccurate question responses, intra-rater reliability, ease of use, and child and parent preference. There were no significant differences between children's scores, time to complete the measure, or ratings related to ease of answering questions. The percentage of children who made answering errors or omissions with paper and pencil was significantly greater than the percentage of children who made such errors using the device. This preliminary study demonstrated that use of an electronic device to collect QOL or patient-reported outcomes (PRO) data from children is more efficient than and just as feasible, reliable, and acceptable as using paper forms. The development of hardware and software applications for the collection of QOL and/or PRO data in children with speech disorders is likely warranted.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The reader will be able to understand: (1) The potential benefits of using electronic data capture via handheld devices for collecting pediatric patient reported outcomes; (2) The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 is a measure of the perception of general health quality that has distinguished between healthy children and those with chronic health conditions; (3) Past research in communication disorders indicates that voice and speech disorders may impact quality of life in children; (4) Based on preliminary data, electronic collection of patient reported outcomes in children with and without speech/voice disorders is more efficient and equally feasible, reliable, and acceptable when compared to paper forms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communicative Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Goodnight Hall, Madison, WI 53706, United States. vinney@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Vinney
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Grade
authors.forename: Nadine P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Connor
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D013070:Speech Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
references.citation: Pain Res Manag. 2009 Jan-Feb;14(1):59-64
references.pmid: 19262918
references.citation: Dev Med Child Neurol. 2010 Sep;52(9):843-9
references.pmid: 20477836
references.citation: Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2009 Sep-Oct;44(5):748-68
references.pmid: 19107658
references.citation: Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 1997 Dec;11(6):1073-6
references.pmid: 9663832
references.citation: Qual Life Res. 2006 Mar;15(2):203-15
references.pmid: 16468077
references.citation: Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2005 May 16;3:34
references.pmid: 15904527
references.citation: Folia Phoniatr (Basel). 1991;43(1):29-35
references.pmid: 2071074
references.citation: Value Health. 2006 Mar-Apr;9(2):98-105
references.pmid: 16626413
references.citation: Qual Life Res. 1998 Jan;7(1):85-91
references.pmid: 9481154
references.citation: Pharmaceut Med. 2008 Jan 1;22(2):69-74
references.pmid: 20037672
references.citation: Fundam Clin Pharmacol. 2004 Jun;18(3):351-63
references.pmid: 15147288
references.citation: Pediatr Clin North Am. 2009 Aug;56(4):843-63
references.pmid: 19660631
references.citation: Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2007 Jan;71(1):77-82
references.pmid: 17046072
references.citation: J Voice. 2011 May;25(3):373-80
references.pmid: 20359863
references.citation: Am J Audiol. 2010 Jun;19(1):61-72
references.pmid: 20538966
references.citation: Med Care. 2001 Aug;39(8):800-12
references.pmid: 11468499
references.citation: Qual Life Res. 1999 Dec;8(8):743-7
references.pmid: 10855348
references.citation: Rheumatology (Oxford). 2002 Mar;41(3):268-73
references.pmid: 11934962
references.citation: Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2003 Apr;84(4 Suppl 2):S35-42
references.pmid: 12692770
references.citation: J Pediatr Psychol. 2011 Mar;36(2):226-36
references.pmid: 20435632
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2009 Nov;124 Suppl 3:S224-36
references.pmid: 19861474
references.citation: Pharmacoeconomics. 2006;24(12):1199-220
references.pmid: 17129075
references.citation: Qual Life Res. 1995 Feb;4(1):21-6
references.pmid: 7711686
references.citation: Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2006 Mar-Apr;41(2):189-212
references.pmid: 16546895
references.citation: J Rheumatol. 2004 Feb;31(2):223-8
references.pmid: 14760788
references.citation: J Commun Disord. 1993 Apr;26(1):3-12
references.pmid: 8340489
references.citation: Dev Neurorehabil. 2010;13(3):175-81
references.pmid: 20450467
references.citation: Med Care. 2000 Sep;38(9 Suppl):II102-24
references.pmid: 10982096
references.citation: J Am Med Inform Assoc. 1997 Nov-Dec;4(6):426-35
references.pmid: 9391930
references.citation: Folia Phoniatr (Basel). 1988;40(6):290-6
references.pmid: 3243521
references.citation: BMJ. 2002 May 18;324(7347):1193-4
references.pmid: 12016186
references.citation: J Voice. 2008 Mar;22(2):197-209
references.pmid: 17512168
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2003 Jun;111(6 Pt 1):1372-81
references.pmid: 12777555