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Does electronic implementation of questionnaires used in asthma alter responses compared to paper implementation?
1Division of Respiratory Medicine, Santa Cabrini Hospital, Montréal, Canada. jcaro@caroresearch.com
Summary
Electronic questionnaires for the SF-36 and asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) are reliable. This study found electronic data collection reduces errors and spoiled responses compared to paper versions.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Health Informatics
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Electronic questionnaires offer advantages but may raise concerns about data validity compared to validated paper versions.
- Assessing the impact of electronic implementation on established health outcome measures is crucial for accurate patient assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the responses obtained from electronic and paper versions of the SF-36 and the asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ).
- To determine if electronic data collection alters patient responses for these widely used health status instruments.
Main Methods:
- Asthma patients completed both electronic and paper versions of the SF-36 and AQLQ, with order alternated.
- A minimum 2-hour interval was maintained between questionnaire completions to prevent answer recall.
- Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to compare scores between electronic and paper formats.
Main Results:
- Excellent overall intraclass correlation coefficients were observed for both SF-36 (0.965) and AQLQ (0.991).
- Paper versions showed a higher incidence of blank (AQLQ: 8, SF-36: 24) and incorrectly answered (SF-36: 9) questions.
- Electronic data collection demonstrated a reduction in spoiled responses.
Conclusions:
- Electronic data collection of SF-36 and AQLQ is a valid method that reduces response errors.
- Successful electronic implementation requires clear instructions for patients on using the digital instrument.