title: Evaluation of electronic patient-reported outcome assessment with cancer patients in the hospital and at home.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) provide a more comprehensive picture of patients' quality of life than do mere physicians' ratings. Electronic data collection of PRO offers several advantages and allows assessments at patients' homes as well. This study reports on patients' personal internet use, their attitudes towards electronic and web-based PRO assessment (clinic-ePRO and home-ePRO) and the feasibility of these two assessment modes.
  
  
  METHODS
  At the Medical University of Innsbruck and Kufstein County Hospital, cancer patients who participated in clinic-ePRO/home-ePRO were asked to complete a comprehensive evaluation form on their personal internet usage, attitudes towards and the feasibility of routine clinic-ePRO/home-ePRO with the Computer-based Health Evaluation System (CHES) software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 113 patients completed the evaluation form for clinic-ePRO (Ø 45 years, SD 14) and 45 patients for home-ePRO (Ø 58 years, SD 10; 33.1 per cent inclusion rate for this sample). Most patients expressed willingness to complete routine clinic-ePRO assessments in the future (94.7 per cent of clinic-ePRO patients and 84.4 per cent of home-ePRO patients) and to discuss their data with attending physicians (82.2 per cent, home-ePRO patients only). Overall, patients preferred the software over paper-pencil questionnaires (67.2 per cent of clinic-ePRO patients and 60 per cent of home-ePRO patients) and experienced it as easy to use. Only a few minor suggestions for improvement were made (e.g. adjustable font sizes).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of clinic-ePRO/home-ePRO was in general shown to be feasible and well accepted. However, to be more inclusive in the implementation of clinic-ePRO/home-ePRO, educational programs concerning their particular benefit in oncology practice potentially could enhance patients' attitudes towards, and consequently their acceptance of and compliance with electronic PRO assessments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr.35, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria. lisa.wintner@tirol-kliniken.at.|Leopold-Franzens-University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria. lisa.wintner@tirol-kliniken.at.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wintner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr.35, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Giesinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine Kufstein County Hospital, Endach 27, Kufstein, 6330, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zabernigg
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Schöpfstraße 23a, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rumpold
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr.35, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.|Leopold-Franzens-University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sztankay
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr.35, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Oberguggenberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr.35, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Gamper
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstr.35, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Holzner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001290:Attitude; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D063005:Health Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D057240:Patient Preference; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult