Primary Care Pre-Visit Electronic Patient Questionnaire for Asthma: Uptake Analysis and Predictor Modeling

Area of Science:

• Digital health interventions
• Health informatics
• Patient engagement technologies

Background:

• Mobile health (mHealth) tablet-based interventions are increasingly used in healthcare.
• Limited knowledge exists on patient uptake, acceptance, and demographic influences on mHealth implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors influencing the uptake and completion of mHealth tablet questionnaires.
• To analyze mHealth implementation within a primary care setting.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of a patient-facing electronic touch-tablet asthma questionnaire.
• Analysis of tablet uptake, completion rates, and predictor models.

Main Results:

• Tablet acceptance occurred in 52.0% of visits; refusal was 33.0%.
• Older patients (>65) and those with COPD were more likely to refuse the tablet.
• Patients on asthma medication were less likely to refuse and more likely to complete the questionnaire.

Conclusions:

• Older age predicted initial refusal, not completion, suggesting mHealth perception issues.
• Disease severity (via asthma medication use) may influence mHealth acceptance.
• Further qualitative research is needed to optimize mHealth strategies for broader adoption.