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Usability of a Computer-assisted Interview System for the Unaided Self-entry of Patient Data in an Urban Rheumatology Clinic

Affiliations of the authors: ArtfulMed.com, Detroit, MI (CAW); Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (TT, ADM-W).

Correspondence and reprints: Carl A. Williams, MD, President, ArtfulMed.com, 15920 Glastonbury, Detroit, MI 48223; e-mail: <cwilliams9{at}mac.com>.

Received for publication: 01/06/04; accepted for publication: 03/14/04.

Objective: This study quantified the ease of use for patients and providers of a microcomputer-based, computer-assisted interview (CAI) system for the serial collection of the American College of Rheumatology Patient Assessment (ACRPA) questionnaire in routine outpatient clinical care in an urban rheumatology clinic.

Design: A cross-sectional survey was used.

Measurements: The answers of 93 respondents to a computer use questionnaire mailed to the 130 participants of a previous validation study of the CAI system were analyzed. For a 30-month period, the percentage of patient visits during which complete ACRPA questionnaire data were obtained with the system was determined.

Results: The computer system provided cost and labor savings in the collection of 2,476 questionnaires for 2,964 patients visits over 30 months for a capture rate of 83.5%. In the last 12 of those months, 1,035 questionnaires were collected for 1,062 patient visits (97.5% capture). There were no missing data. The prestudy capture rate was 13.5%, with 33% of surveys having complete data. Patients rated the overall usability of the system as good (mean = 1.34, standard deviation = 0.61) on a scale of 0–2, where 2 = good, but expressed difficulty with mouse manipulation and concerns about the privacy of the data entry environment.

Conclusion The system proved easy to use and cost-effective for the (mostly) unaided self-entry of self-report data for each patient for each visit in routine outpatient clinical care in an urban rheumatology clinic.

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