Using tablet technology in routine patient-reported outcome measure surveys to improve cancer quality care: A patient acceptability assessment.

Abstract

155 Background: Patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) surveys are a tool used to collect information about clinically-relevant symptoms in patients. Touch-screen technology has been previously identified as a feasible and effective method of routinely capturing PROMs.Our aim was to evaluate cancer patients’ acceptance and perception of usefulness of tablet technology as a means of communicating PROMs to healthcare providers during delivery of quality care. Methods: 337 adult cancer patients across all outpatient clinics and disease sites at Toronto’s Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PMCC) completed PROMs surveys using touch-screen technology. Acceptance and feasibility of completing the tablet-based PROMs data on a routine basis were also assessed. Results: The study population consisted of 45% males; median age 59 (19-91) years; 75% Caucasian, and 48% had a post-secondary degree.20% had lung cancer, 20% genitourinary, 16% breast, 16% lymphoma, 11% gastrointestinal, 7% gynecologic, and 7% head/neck. 88% were happy to complete the survey on a touch-screen tablet and 65% of these were willing to complete such surveys routinely. 86% did not find it time-consuming. Only 2% found that the completion of surveys made their clinic visit more difficult. Of the 72% that thought the survey was a useful means to inform the clinician of how they felt physically and emotionally, only 81% were willing to complete the survey at every visit. Conclusions: Tablet-technology was found to be an acceptable tool for survey administration, however, not on a routine basis. While the majority of patients found PROMs to be clinically important, almost 20% did not want to fill it in regularly at every visit. Current mixed-methods analysis is being utilized to help discern whether this discrepancy is related to the tablet technology or survey burden.