title: Evaluation of quality of life using a tablet PC-based survey in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy: a multi-institutional prospective randomized crossover comparison of paper and tablet PC-based questionnaires (KROG 12-01).
abstract: This study compared a tablet PC questionnaire with a paper method for reliability and patient preferences in the acquisition of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for patients treated with radiotherapy. By comparing the two modes of PRO administration, we aimed to evaluate the adequacy of using tablet PC questionnaires in future clinical use.
  
  
  
  Patients were randomized in a crossover study design using two different methods for PRO entry. A group of 89 patients answered a paper questionnaire followed by the tablet PC version, whereas 89 patients in another group completed the tablet PC questionnaire followed by the paper version. Surveys were performed four times per patient throughout the course of the radiotherapy. The Korean versions of the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI-K) and the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI-K) were used. The primary endpoint of our current study was an assessment of patient preference for the survey method. The proportions of patients preferring each mode of questionnaire were evaluated.
  
  
  
  The proportion of patients who preferred the tablet PC version, paper form, or who had no preference was 52.2, 22.1, and 25.7 %, respectively. More than half of the patients preferred the tablet PC to the paper version in all four surveys. Age, gender, educational status, prior experience of using a tablet PC, and the order of paper to tablet PC administration did not impact patient preferences. Inter-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) between the modes were 0.92 for MDASI-K and 0.94 for BFI-K and ranged from 0.91 to 0.96 on both instruments during the four surveys.
  
  
  
  A tablet PC-based PRO is an acceptable and reliable method compared with paper-based data collection for Korean patients receiving radiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hwaseong, South Korea.
authors.forename: Haeyoung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81 Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 135-710, South Korea. hee.ro.park@samsung.com.|Department of Medical Device Management and Research, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea. hee.ro.park@samsung.com.
authors.forename: Hee Chul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea. drsmyoon@amc.seoul.kr.
authors.forename: Sang Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Center for Proton Therapy, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Hyun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81 Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 135-710, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jinsung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Min Kyu
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jinhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Woon
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yea
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010209:Paper; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Equivalence; Health-related quality of life; Patient-reported outcomes; Radiotherapy; Tablet PC