An innovative data collection method for investigating unresolved pain after ED discharge: a pilot study

Research focused on improving the outcome of patients with pain is an important aspect of emergency care, yet little information has been published to quantify pain severity, patient improvement, and return to independent function after ED discharge. Because of the paucity of available clinical data, this pilot study was designed to determine the acceptability and feasibility of using electronic data collection procedures. Specifically, we examined the willingness of discharged ED patients to use portable touch-screen computers as an alternative to traditional "paper and pencil" or telephone data collection methods to report postdischarge pain.

Participants in this prospective pilot study all reported acute pain that was unresolved at the time of ED discharge. Descriptive data were self-entered on touch-screen computers at ED discharge and 7 days later in subjects' homes. Participants completed 4 Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS Network, Silver Spring, MD), questionnaires and the computer acceptability scale (CAS), using the Assessment Center platform program (National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD) for instrument administration, data storage, and information retrieval. Determinants of study success were willingness of the participants to use touch-screen computers, questionnaire completion time, and completeness of the data.

Participants (N = 25) used touch-screen computers to complete 18 questions at the time of ED discharge. The mean completion time was 3.54 (± 1.13) minutes. Participants averaged 5.83 (± 2.00) minutes to complete the follow-up questionnaires. Ninety-two percent of subjects reported that the touch-screen computer was easy to use. We encountered no issues with data management using the Assessment Center platform.

Touch-screen computers are a feasible and acceptable approach to collecting information about how patients self-manage unresolved pain after discharge from an emergency department. This methodology offers an alternative to traditional data collection methods. These data can inform researchers as they design future studies and assist emergency nurses who are responsible for planning quality improvement initiatives.