Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026

E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
Using the health utilities index in routine clinical care: process, feasibility, and acceptability: a randomized
Maria-Jose Santana1, David H Feeny
11 University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 2 Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Background And Objective:
: Using measures of health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) in routine clinical practice has the potential to improve the quality of healthcare and outcomes. The Health Utilities Index (HUI) is a generic, preference-based measure of HR-QOL. The aim of this study was to describe the process, feasibility and acceptability of use of the HUI in routine clinical care.
Methods:
: The study was conducted at the outpatient Heart and Lung Transplant Clinic, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Before seeing the clinician, patients attending the clinic completed the HUI on a touch-screen computer at each visit. This information was graphically represented on the HUI score card and presented to the clinicians during the visit. Patients completed a battery of questionnaires at baseline and at the end of the study. Training in the interpretation of the results was provided on a regular basis to the clinicians. The use of HUI in clinical practice was assessed from the perspectives of clinicians and patients. Clinicians completed two questionnaires, at baseline (on expectations) and at the end of the study (an evaluation), regarding the usefulness of the HUI measure in routine clinical care. Patients completed an evaluation form at the end of the study.
Results:
: Of 151 patients, 135 were happy to use the touch-screen computer and 138 patients confirmed that the questionnaire was easy to complete. Only 10 of 151 patients were unwilling to complete the questionnaires. Clinicians agreed that the results from the HUI helped to improve patient-clinician communication. Members of the team indicated that the HUI score card was clinically relevant and confirmed their diagnoses.
Conclusions:
: Patients quickly learned how to complete the HUI questionnaire on the computer. Clinicians found that the information provided was valuable and have subsequently incorporated the use of the HUI in the routine clinical care of their patients.
Related Concept Videos
Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients
Clinical Trials
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
Hazard Ratio
For example, in a clinical trial evaluating a...
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
Clinical Trials: Overview
Dosage Regimens: Designs and Approaches
