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Diary keeping in asthma: comparison of written and electronic methods
M E Hyland1, C A Kenyon, R Allen
1Department of Psychology, University of Plymouth.
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)
|February 20, 1993
Summary
Asthmatic patients often inaccurately complete symptom diaries, especially with evening entries and retrospective recall. Electronic, time-coded diaries may improve the quality of asthma symptom recording.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Medical Informatics
Background:
- Symptom diaries are crucial for monitoring asthma management.
- Accuracy of patient-reported data is essential for effective treatment adjustments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the accuracy and retrospective nature of asthma symptom diaries.
- To compare electronic versus paper-based diary completion.
Main Methods:
- 24 asthmatic outpatients used both electronic and paper diaries twice daily for 14 days.
- Asthma severity and anxiety levels were also assessed.
Main Results:
- Evening diary entries were more frequently missed and retrospectively completed compared to morning entries.
- 15% of peak expiratory flow entries were discrepant, with most patients making at least one error.
- Higher anxiety scores correlated with more missed diary days.
Conclusions:
- Inadequate instructions and patient expectations contribute to poor diary completion.
- Electronic, time-coded diaries show potential for enhancing data accuracy in asthma monitoring.