Real-Time Symptom Ratings Using Ecological Momentary Assessment Versus Traditional Questionnaires in Patients With...

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Digital Health
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Traditional COPD symptom questionnaires suffer from recall bias and fail to capture symptom variability.
• Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) offers a solution by collecting real-time symptom data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare symptom ratings from EMA with traditional questionnaires in COPD patients.
• To evaluate the validity of EMA for assessing COPD symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A subsample of COPD patients from the FAntasTIGUE study completed various symptom questionnaires.
• Participants also used EMA to report breathlessness, fatigue, anxiety, and energy levels multiple times daily for 5 days.

Main Results:

• EMA showed moderate to strong correlations with questionnaire scores (r=0.49-0.78).
• EMA data revealed significant symptom variability within and across days.
• Symptom patterns varied significantly across different COPD severity groups.

Conclusions:

• EMA is a valid and effective tool for assessing symptoms in COPD patients.
• EMA's ability to capture real-time fluctuations can enhance symptom management strategies.