title: Willingness of Patients with Breast Cancer in the Adjuvant and Metastatic Setting to Use Electronic Surveys (ePRO) Depends on Sociodemographic Factors, Health-related Quality of Life, Disease Status and Computer Skills.
abstract: Introduction:Because of the often unfavorable prognosis, particularly for patients with metastases, health-related quality of life is extremely important for breast cancer patients. In recent years, data on patient-relevant endpoints is being increasingly collected electronically; however, knowledge on the acceptance and practicability of, and barriers to, this form of data collection remains limited.Material and Methods:A questionnaire was completed by 96 patients to determine to what extent existing computer skills, disease status, health-related quality of life and sociodemographic factors affect patients' potential willingness to use electronics methods of data collection (ePRO).Results:52 of 96 (55 %) patients reported a priori that they could envisage using ePRO. Patients who a priori preferred a paper-based survey (pPRO) tended to be older (ePRO 53 years vs. pPRO 62 years; p = 0.0014) and typically had lower levels of education (p = 0.0002), were in poorer health (p = 0.0327) and had fewer computer skills (p = 0.0003).Conclusion:Barriers to the prospective use of ePRO were identified in older patients and patients with a lower quality of life. Given the appropriate conditions with regard to age, education and current health status, opportunities to participate should be provided to encourage patients' willingness to take part and ensure the validity of survey results. Focusing on ease of use of ePRO applications and making applications more patient-oriented and straightforward appears to be the way forward.
authors.affiliation: Department für Frauengesundheit, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen; Forschungsinstitut für Frauengesundheit, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen; Abteilung Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.affiliation: Department für Frauengesundheit, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen; Forschungsinstitut für Frauengesundheit, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen; Stabsstelle Sozialmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simoes
authors.affiliation: Department für Frauengesundheit, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wißlicen
authors.affiliation: Department für Frauengesundheit, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rava
authors.affiliation: Department für Frauengesundheit, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen.
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.affiliation: Department für Frauengesundheit, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartkopf
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Allgemeine Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Keilmann
authors.affiliation: Department für Frauengesundheit, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taran
authors.affiliation: Department für Frauengesundheit, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wallwiener
authors.affiliation: Frauenklinik, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fasching
authors.affiliation: Department für Frauengesundheit, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen; Forschungsinstitut für Frauengesundheit, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Brucker
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Allgemeine Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallwiener
keywords: acceptance of technology-based surveys; breast cancer; metastatic setting; obstacles; patient-reported outcomes