Evaluation of computerised questionnaires designed for patients referred for gastrointestinal endoscopy

The aim of this prospective study was to assess the applicability of a computerised medical history system at the open-access endoscopy unit of a University Hospital during routine clinical practice. We studied feasibility, acceptability and reproducibility of computerised questionnaires designed for patients referred for endoscopy of either the upper or lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract, partly in comparison with almost identical paper questionnaires. In the first period of the study 1134 patients were referred of whom 73% answered the paper questionnaire, and during the second period 537 patients were referred of whom 64% answered the computerised questionnaire (P less than 0.001). There was no sex dependency regarding the ability to answer both types of questionnaires. A significant age dependency regarding the ability to answer the paper questionnaires was observed for patients referred for upper and lower GI endoscopy (P less than 0.0001 and P less than 0.0001). Corresponding with this observation, the ability to answer the computerised questionnaires significantly decreased with increasing age for both groups of patients (P less than 0.0001 and P less than 0.0001). The average completion times of both computerised questionnaires, designed for the upper and lower GI tract, were 11 min. The completion times did not depend on sex, but there was a slight positive correlation with age (P less than 0.0001 with multiple R = 0.27 and P = 0.0593 with multiple R = 0.12). Answering our computerised questionnaires was consistently reported to be interesting and easy, and did not last too long according to the respondents. After patients had answered the computerised history system, the insight into their complaints had increased in 40%, and 45% could put their complaints into words more easily. Only 25% of the patients were unable to express all their complaints. A reproducibility of medical history data of 85% was observed between paper and computerised questionnaires. Our computerised questionnaires can provide us with a detailed and uniformly acquired medical history of most patients referred for GI endoscopy. They are well accepted by the patients and can be completed during the normal waiting period. The medical history data obtained with these questionnaires are quite reproducible.