title: Evaluation of computer-based medical histories taken by patients at home.
abstract: The authors developed a computer-based general medical history to be taken by patients in their homes over the internet before their first visit with their primary care doctor, and asked six doctors and their participating patients to assess this history and its effect on their subsequent visit. Forty patients began the history; 32 completed the history and post-history assessment questionnaire and were for the most part positive in their assessment; and 23 continued on to complete their post-visit assessment questionnaire and were for the most part positive about the helpfulness of the history and its summary at the time of their visit with the doctor. The doctors in turn strongly favored the immediate, routine use of two modules of the history--the family and social histories--for all their new patients. The doctors suggested further that the summaries of the other modules of the history be revised and shortened to make it easier for them to focus on clinical issues in the order of their preference.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Informatics, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. wslack@bidmc.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Warner V
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Slack
authors.forename: Hollis B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Kowaloff
authors.forename: Roger B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Delbanco
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Locke
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Safran
authors.forename: Howard L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bleich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D001294:Attitude to Health; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires