Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes: Semi-Automated Data Collection in the Interventional Radiology Clinic

Patient-reported outcomes are important for clinical research and will likely be used in the near future as a metric for physician reimbursement. This study aims to evaluate the implementation of an electronic data collection system for deep vein thrombosis and lymphedema quality-of-life (QOL) questionnaires in a tertiary care interventional radiology practice.

A single provider's clinic patients were automatically e-mailed validated questionnaires 1 week before their appointments. If not completed via e-mail, the questionnaire was administered on an electronic tablet in clinic by a research coordinator. Patients were also sent postprocedure questionnaires.

In all, 106 patients visited the clinic for a pre-intervention venous consultation. Of them, 96% (n = 102 of 106) completed the pre-intervention questionnaire: 48% (n = 47 of 98) via e-mail and 52% (n = 51 of 98) via tablet. Of the patients who had procedures and were sent questionnaires, 49% (n = 26 of 53) were seen in person. Of the postprocedure in-person clinic patients, 76% (n = 20 of 26) completed the questionnaire via e-mail, and the remainder with the tablet in clinic. Twenty-seven of the 53 (51%) patients did not return for follow-up and instead were sent an electronic questionnaire as their only source of follow-up, of which 74% (n = 20 of 27) complied.

After an initial introduction to electronic QOL reporting, patients were more likely to complete the questionnaires remotely for their follow-up appointment. A semi-automated electronic QOL system allows physicians to collect patient outcome data even in the absence of a clinic visit.