Previous Computer Experience Research Articles

Nurses' Attitudes and Factors Affecting Use of Electronic Health Record in Saudi Arabia.

(1) Background: Nurses' attitudes toward electronic health records (EHRs) is a very valuable issue that needs to be evaluated, understood, and considered one of the main factors that can lead to its improvement or handicap its implementation. This study aimed to assess nurses' attitudes toward EHRs and associated factors that affect the implementation of EHRs in different hospitals in Saudi Arabia. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was utilized to collect data from 297 nurses working in public hospitals and primary healthcare centers in Ha'il Province from January to May 2023. Data were collected using the Nurses' Attitudes Towards Computerization questionnaire and a sociodemographic and work-related characteristics sheet. (3) Results: Most of the participants' attitude scores (81.1%, n = 241) were more than or equal to 60, representing positive attitudes, whereas 18.9% (n = 56) of the nurses' scores were less than 60, which is interpreted as negative attitudes. There was a significant relationship between nurses' attitudes toward EHRs and a participants' sex, where males had a more positive attitude than females (p < 0.001). Particularly, young nurses and those who had previous computer experience had a more positive attitude than older nurses and those who had no computer experience (p = 0.044 and < 0.001, respectively). Saudi nurses holding a master's degree had significantly more positive attitudes toward EHRs than non-Saudi nurses holding a bachelor's or diploma degree (p = 0.007 and 0.048, respectively). Nurses with less experience (less than five years) in the nursing field had a significantly positive attitude. Multiple linear regression showed that sex (p = 0.038), level of education (p = 0.001), and previous computer experience (p < 0.001) were independent factors of nurses' knowledge of EHRs. (4) Conclusion: The majority of nurses had positive overall attitudes toward using EHRs. Nurses who are Saudi nationals, male, younger, have previous computer experience, and have less than five years of experience had a more positive attitude toward EHRs than nurses who are non-Saudi, female, older, have no computer experience, have bachelor's or diploma degree, and have less than five years of experience, respectively. Sex, education level, and previous computer experience were independent factors of nurses' knowledge of EHRs.

Individualistic Versus Collaborative Learning in an eHealth Literacy Intervention for Older Adults: Quasi-Experimental Study.

Older adults tend to have insufficient health literacy, which includes eHealth literacy-the ability to access, assess, and use digital health information. Interventions using methods such as collaborative learning (CL) and individualistic learning (IL) may be effective in addressing older adults' low eHealth literacy, but little is known about the short- and long-term effects of CL versus IL on older adults' eHealth literacy. The objective of this study was to use a 3 × 2 × 3 mixed factorial design to examine older adults' learning with CL versus IL for eHealth literacy. Older adults (N=466; mean age 70.5, SD 7.2; range 60-96 years) from diverse racial and ethnic groups were randomly assigned to either the CL or IL group (233/466, 50% in each). The intervention consisted of 4 weeks of training in 2-hour sessions held twice a week. Using ANOVA and multiple regression, we focused on the main effects of learning condition and interaction between learning condition and previous computer experience. Learning method (CL or IL) and previous computer experience (experienced, new, or mixed) were between-subject variables, and time of measurement (pretest measurement, posttest measurement, and 6-month follow-up) was the within-subject variable. Primary outcome variables were eHealth literacy efficacy, computer and web knowledge, basic computer and web operation skills, information-seeking skills, and website evaluation skills. Control variables were age, sex, education, health status, race and ethnicity, income, primary language, and previous health literacy. eHealth literacy efficacy, computer and web knowledge, basic computer and web operation skills, information-seeking skills, and website evaluation skills improved significantly (P<.001 in all cases) from before to after the intervention. From postintervention measurement to 6-month follow-up, there was a significant interaction between learning condition and previous computer experience based on 1 outcome measure, computer and web operation skills (F2,55=3.69; P=.03). To maintain computer and web operation skills 6 months after the intervention, it was more effective for people with little to no previous computer experience to learn individually, whereas for people with more previous computer experience, it was more effective to learn collaboratively. From postintervention measurement to 6-month follow-up, statistically significant decreases were found in 3 of the 5 outcome measures: eHealth literacy efficacy, computer and web knowledge, and basic computer and web operation skills (P<.001 for all 3 cases). Older adults' eHealth literacy can be improved through effective intervention, and the IL or CL condition may have little effect on short-term outcomes. However, to maintain long-term benefits, it may be best to learn collaboratively with others who have similar previous computer experience. eHealth literacy is multidimensional, with some components retained better over time. Findings suggest a need for resources to provide continuous training or periodic boosting to maintain intervention gains.

Digital technology utilization and its associated factors among health science students at Mettu University, Southwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe demand of technology in higher education institution is increasing. Digital technology is critical for students’ academic performance improvement. However, digital technology adoption rate and utilization in resource-limited settings is low. Therefore, this study aimed to determine digital technology utilization and identify its associated factors among health science students at Mettu University. MethodsA cross-sectional study design, and a pretested self-administrated questionnaire was used. Epi Data version 24, and STAT version 25 software was used for data entry, and analysis respectively. A forward stepwise logistic regression analysis model was used to measure the association of independent variables with the dependent variables. Variance inflation and Pearson's chi-square test were used to assess the independent relationship between variables. A p-value of less than 0.2 and 0.05 were considered significant in stepwise forward bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions with a 95% confidence level, respectively. ResultsA total of 68% of students had good digital technology utilization. Secondary or higher education status of parents (AOR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.25, 6.10), adequate internet access (AOR: 3.75; 95% CI: 1.66, 6.93), good knowledge (AOR = 3.45; 95% CI: 2.20, 8.93), favorable attitudes (AOR = 5.28; 95% CI: 3.03, 12.51), and previous computer experience (AOR = 4.15; 95% CI: 3.47, 10.88) were statistically significant factors for students’ digital technology utilization. ConclusionsStudents had good digital technology utilization. Regardless, ensuring adequate internet accessibility, enhancing students’ attitude towards digital technology and their digital technology competency are recommended interventions for better digital technology utilization and adoption.

Does Computer Use Improve Older Adults' Cognitive Functioning? Evidence From the Personal Reminder Information and Social Management Trial.

Numerous longitudinal studies suggest that technology use in late adulthood is associated with cognitive benefits. Using data from a randomized controlled trial, the current study examined whether computer use improves cognition in older adults with little to no previous computer experience. This study used data from the Personal Reminder Information and Social Management (PRISM) trial. Community-dwelling older adults with little previous computer experience (MAge = 76.15) were randomly assigned to learn and use a computer (the PRISM system, n = 150) or interact with parallel content delivered in a nondigital format (paper binder, n = 150) for 12 months. Objective and subjective cognitive outcomes were measured before (pretest) and after the intervention (posttest). Latent change score models and Bayesian analysis of variances were used to examine cognitive change at the ability and individual measure level. Computer training and use for 12 months did not lead to cognitive improvements at the ability level. Strong evidence against cognitive benefits at the individual measure level was also observed. Casual computer use does not provide enough cognitive stimulation to improve cognition in late adulthood. Cognitive benefits observed in longitudinal studies may be mediated by other factors or influenced by confounding variables.

SmartCards as Analogous Tools to Operate Tablet Computers for Elderly-A Feasibility Study.

Background: Older adults sometimes shy away from using modern digital communication devices due to lacking experience and fear of failure. Within the present project, SmartCards were developed as analogous means to operate tablet computers for older adults with little previous computer experience. We investigated whether the SmartCards-Tablet-System would (a) increase use of digital communication and (b) affect loneliness, autonomy, cognitive ability and wellbeing of the users. Methods: The suitability and acceptance of the system was evaluated during a three month trial period with seniors in retirement homes, seniors with home assistance care and a waiting control group. Results: Acceptance, duration of use and frequency of use were high in both experimental groups. Cognitive ability significantly improved after three months’ use in both experimental groups. Effects on loneliness, autonomy and wellbeing could not be observed. Discussion: Our results indicate that seniors are very much able and curious to use modern digital devices if the interface and hardware are adjusted to their needs and capabilities without being stigmatizing. The use of modern communication services and the World Wide Web can promote contact of seniors with their (younger) relatives.

IS PREVIOUS STUDENT COMPUTER EXPERIENCE RELATED TO THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARDS INTERNET USE

In the recent past, university students were confined to traditional educational technologies such as chalkboards, papers and textbooks for pedagogical purposes. Institutions of higher learning in Uganda have provided Internet services to students, increasing their access to global resources through surfing, downloading and obtaining electronic materials. Students’ use of technology as a university provision should be explored in order to establish and meet their needs more effectively. This study was conducted in Kyambogo University in Uganda, to explore the impact of students’ previous computer experience on use of the Internet. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 280 university students. The quantitative data, collected using a questionnaire, was analyzed descriptively using SPSS for frequencies, means standard deviation and cross tabulation. The qualitative data, collected using interviews, was analyzed using thematic analysis. The results corroborated each other, indicating a significant relationship between previous computer experience and students’ use of Internet. It was recommended that students be incentivized in order to develop positive attitudes towards use of e-technology; and learners be introduced to use of ICT at both primary and secondary levels of education. Article visualizations:

Exploring the use of tablet computer-based electronic data capture system to assess patient reported measures among patients with chronic kidney disease: a pilot study

BackgroundCollecting patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) via computer-based electronic data capture system may improve feasibility and facilitate implementation in clinical care. We report our initial experience about the acceptability of touch-screen tablet computer-based, self-administered questionnaires among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including stage 5 CKD treated with renal replacement therapies (RRT) (either dialysis or transplant).MethodsWe enrolled a convenience sample of patients with stage 4 and 5 CKD (including patients on dialysis or after kidney transplant) in a single-centre, cross-sectional pilot study. Participants completed validated questionnaires programmed on an electronic data capture system (DADOS, Techna Inc., Toronto) on tablet computers. The primary objective was to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of using tablet-based electronic data capture in patients with CKD. Descriptive statistics, Fischer’s exact test and multivariable logistic regression models were used for data analysis.ResultsOne hundred and twenty one patients (55% male, mean age (± SD) of 58 (±14) years, 49% Caucasian) participated in the study. Ninety-two percent of the respondents indicated that the computer tablet was acceptable and 79% of the participants required no or minimal help for completing the questionnaires. Acceptance of tablets was lower among patients 70 years or older (75% vs. 95%; p = 0.011) and with little previous computer experience (81% vs. 96%; p = 0.05). Furthermore, a greater level of assistance was more frequently required by patients who were older (45% vs. 15%; p = 0.009), had lower level of education (33% vs. 14%; p = 0.027), low health literacy (79% vs. 12%; p = 0.027), and little previous experience with computers (52% vs. 10%; p = 0.027).ConclusionsTablet computer-based electronic data capture to administer PROMs was acceptable and feasible for most respondents and could therefore be used to systematically assess PROMs among patients with CKD. Special consideration should focus on elderly patients with little previous computer experience, since they may require more assistance with completion.

Factors affecting the utilisation of electronic medical records system in Malawian central hospitals.

In Malawi, paper-based medical record-keeping has been observed to exacerbate challenges related to accessing patient records and patient tracking. Despite the introduction of electronic medical record (EMR) systems in 2001, paper-based records continue to be in use. Some health workers prefer paper-based records to EMRs. This study assessed factors that affect the use of EMRs in Malawi, particularly at Queen Elizabeth and Kamuzu Central Hospitals. It further investigated the reasons why paper-based records are still in use despite the numerous associated disadvantages. The extent to which EMRs contribute to patient care was also analysed. In this cross-sectional study, 111 randomly selected health workers were interviewed, using a semistructured questionnaire, at the 2 largest central hospitals in Malawi, where EMRs were first introduced in the country. Focus group discussions were conducted to gather further information on factors identified during the individual interviews. Differences in age, gender, and previous computer experience were not associated with differences in EMR usage. However, education and employment levels has a positive association with EMR usage. Hardware and connectivity problems, as well as lack of training and managerial support negatively affected the use of EMRs. EMRs were found to improve data quality and efficiency in patient management.

Development and Testing of a Computerized Pain Body Map in Patients With Advanced Cancer

ContextPain localization is an important part of pain assessment. Development of pain tools for self-report should include expert and patient input, and patient testing in large samples. ObjectivesTo develop a computerized pain body map (CPBM) for use in patients with advanced cancer. MethodsThree studies were conducted: 1) an international expert survey and a pilot study guiding the contents and layout of the CPBM, 2) clinical testing in an international symptom assessment study in eight countries and 17 centers (N = 533), and 3) comparing patient pain markings on computer and paper body maps (N = 92). ResultsStudy 1: 22 pain experts and 28 patients participated. A CPBM with anterior and posterior whole body views was developed for marking pain locations, supplemented by pain intensity ratings for each location. Study 2: 533 patients (286 male, 247 female, mean age 62 years) participated; 80% received pain medication and 81% had metastatic disease. Eighty-five percent completed CPBM as intended. Mean ± SD number of marked pain locations was 1.8 ± 1.2. Aberrant markings (15%) were mostly related to software problems. No differences were found regarding age, gender, cognitive/physical performance, or previous computer experience. Study 3: 70% of the patients had identical markings on the computer and paper maps. Only four patients had completely different markings on the two maps. ConclusionThis first version of CPBM was well accepted by patients with advanced cancer. However, several areas for improvement were revealed, providing a basis for the development of the next version, which is subject to further international testing.

Robot services for elderly with cognitive impairment: Testing usability of graphical user interfaces

Socially assistive robotics for elderly care is a growing field. However, although robotics has the potential to support elderly in daily tasks by offering specific services, the development of usable interfaces is still a challenge. Since several factors such as age or disease-related changes in perceptual or cognitive abilities and familiarity with computer technologies influence technology use they must be considered when designing interfaces for these users. This paper presents findings from usability testing of two different services provided by a social assistive robot intended for elderly with cognitive impairment: a grocery shopping list and an agenda application. The main goal of this study is to identify the usability problems of the robot interface for target end-users as well as to isolate the human factors that affect the use of the technology by elderly. Socio-demographic characteristics and computer experience were examined as factors that could have an influence on task performance. A group of 11 elderly persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment and a group of 11 cognitively healthy elderly individuals took part in this study. Performance measures (task completion time and number of errors) were collected. Cognitive profile, age and computer experience were found to impact task performance. Participants with cognitive impairment achieved the tasks committing more errors than cognitively healthy elderly. Instead younger participants and those with previous computer experience were faster at completing the tasks confirming previous findings in the literature. The overall results suggested that interfaces and contents of the services assessed were usable by older adults with cognitive impairment. However, some usability problems were identified and should be addressed to better meet the needs and capacities of target end-users.

Students’ intentions to purchase electronic textbooks

Textbooks have played an important role in education for decades. Given the significant number of technology applications in education, it is not surprising that at least one such application is the electronic textbook (e-textbook). There are a variety of motivations to adopt an e-textbook, including frequent content updates and low costs. The research presented here examines students’ behavioral intentions to purchase an e-textbook when given the choice. The theoretical foundation of the research is provided by social cognitive theory. The data used in the empirical study were collected by distributing a questionnaire to students at a medium-sized university in the western United States. Student responses used in the analysis all reported prior use of an e-textbook. The model was estimated using a structural equations approach. The results showed that both ease of e-textbook use and verbal persuasion/social norm positively influence behavioral intentions to purchase an e-textbook through both self-efficacy and outcome expectancy/usefulness. Previous computer experience positively influences behavioral intentions to purchase an e-textbook only through self-efficacy. Based on these results, conclusions are provided.

Public Library Training Program for Older Adults Addresses Their Computer and Health Literacy Needs

Objective – To evaluate the efficacy of an e-health literacy educational intervention aimed at older adults.&#x0D; &#x0D; Design – Pre and post intervention questionnaires administered in an experimental study.&#x0D; &#x0D; Setting – Two public library branches in Maryland.&#x0D; &#x0D; Subjects – 218 adults between 60 and 89 years of age.&#x0D; &#x0D; Methods – A convenience sample of older adults was recruited to participate in a four week training program structured around the National Institutes of Health toolkit Helping Older Adults Search for Health Information Online. During the program, classes met at the participating libraries twice a week. Sessions were two hours in length, and employed hands on exercises led by Master of Library Science students. The training included an introduction to the Internet, as well as in depth training in the use of the NIHSeniorHealth and MedlinePlus websites. In the first class, participants were asked to complete a pre-training questionnaire that included questions relating to demographics and previous computer and Internet experience, as well as measures from the Computer Anxiety Scale and two subscales of the Attitudes toward Computers Questionnaire. Participants between September 2008 and June 2009 also completed pre-training computer and web knowledge tests that asked individuals to label the parts of a computer and of a website using a provided list of terms. At the end of the program, participants were asked to complete post-training questionnaires that included the previously employed questions from the Computer Anxiety Scale and Attitudes towards Computer Questionnaire. New questions were added relating to the participants’ satisfaction with the training, its impact on their health decision making, their perceptions of public libraries, and the perceived usability and utility of the two websites highlighted during the training program. Those who completed pre-training knowledge tests were also asked to complete the same exercises at the end of the program. &#x0D; &#x0D; Main Results – Participants showed significant decreases in their levels of computer anxiety, and significant increases in their interest in computers at the end of the program (p&gt;0.01). Computer and web knowledge also increased among those completing the knowledge tests. Most participants (78%) indicated that something they had learned in the program impacted their health decision making, and just over half of respondents (55%) changed how they took medication as a result of the program. Participants were also very satisfied with the program’s delivery and format, with 97% indicating that they had learned a lot from the course. Most (68%) participants said that they wished the class had been longer, and there was full support for similar programming to be offered at public libraries. Participants also reported that they found the NIHSeniorHealth website more useful, but not significantly more usable, than MedlinePlus.&#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusion – The intervention as designed successfully addressed issues of computer and health literacy with older adult participants. By using existing resources, such as public library computer facilities and curricula developed by the National Institutes of Health, the intervention also provides a model that could be easily replicated in other locations without the need for significant financial resources.

Nutrition Therapy System for elderly with Diabetes

This research aimed to create a Nutrition Therapy System (NTS) using Internet Technology for monitoring and controlling the nutrition for elderly with diabetes. The system's basic functions include a patient management subsystem, an electronic logbook, a nutrition module, a dictionary for diabetes-related terminology, a diabetic-physician data transfer module and an on-line help capability. NTS provides a data capturing capability, trend analysis, and nutrition decision support to improve the monitoring and maintenance of diabetes. It was designed to be used by both a physician and a patient and can also serve as a useful knowledge aid for a new diabetic. Its basic advantages lie in its comprehensiveness and flexibility. It is also user-friendly, easy to operate, and does not require any previous computer experience. The NTS was highly acceptable: 85% patients found it easy to operate while 83% found it useful. The NTS was thus a feasible model of computer-based in diabetes care and it is warranted the cost-effectiveness.

A new computer-based counselling system for the promotion of physical activity in patients with chronic diseases—Results from a pilot study

Objective To develop a computer-based counselling system (CBCS) for the improvement of attitudes towards physical activity in chronically ill patients and to pilot its efficacy and acceptance in primary care. Methods The system is tailored to patients’ disease and motivational stage. During a pilot study in five German general practices, patients answered questions before, directly and 6 weeks after using the CBCS. Outcome criteria were attitudes and self-efficacy. Qualitative interviews were performed to identify acceptance indicators. Results Seventy-nine patients participated (mean age: 64.5 years, 53% males; 38% without previous computer experience). Patients’ affective and cognitive attitudes changed significantly, self-efficacy showed only minor changes. Patients mentioned no difficulties in interacting with the CBCS. However, perception of the system's usefulness was inconsistent. Conclusion Computer-based counselling for physical activity related attitudes in patients with chronic diseases is feasible, but the circumstances of use with respect to the target group and its integration into the management process have to be clarified in future studies. Practice implication This study adds to the understanding of computer-based counselling in primary health care. Acceptance indicators identified in this study will be validated as part of a questionnaire on technology acceptability in a subsequent study.

Mediating the impact of technology usage on perceived ease of use by anxiety

Computerphobic adults including first-year university students have been reported to range from 25% to 50%. Although self-reported computer anxiety has reduced in the past decade, it continues to be a significant issue for many. This is especially true for students of today where the stakes are high when using computers for their course work. Anxiety becomes even more critical when students are taking online courses. Past research has shown that computer experience is a strong predictor of whether or not a user will suffer anxiety symptoms while using a computer. Moreover, a substantial amount of work has been done to study the effect of previous computer experience on anxiety and on ease of use of information technologies using the technology acceptance model. However, few, if any, have investigated the role of anxiety in mediating technology usage experience on perceived ease of use. In this study, technology usage is viewed from two perspectives, the computer and the internet. We study the influence of anxiety in mediating the impact of computer and internet experiences on perceived ease of use. Questionnaire data from 114 university students were analyzed. The context was the use of a quiz tool to practice multiple choice questions. Contrary to most related studies, results indicated that anxiety has no mediating role on the impact of computer experience and perceived ease of use. However, anxiety was shown to present some moderating influence on perceived ease of use.

Use of computerised cognitive testing batteries in Parkinson’s disease: The client’s perspective

This paper discusses the use of computerised testing amongst an older-people client group. The results suggested that the majority of clients enjoyed the experience, and that many of those without previous computer experience were keen to learn more.

An investigation into student characteristics affecting novice programming performance

Novice programmers usually experience difficulties when programming for the first time. The main aim of the study presented in this paper is to identify those characteristics that negatively effect procedural programming performance, so that additional support can be provided in the instruction of programming courses for students possessing these characteristics. Investigations were conducted at two South African tertiary institutions. At both institutions a first course in Java programming, focussing on procedural programming aspects, was used for purposes of the study. The characteristics investigated were the student's problem solving ability, gender, learning style, first language and previous computer experience. The study revealed that a student's problem solving ability and first language definitely have an impact on his or her programming performance.

Interactive health communication applications for chronic disease: Patient and carer perspectives

Interactive health communication applications (IHCAs) may be particularly useful to patients and carers managing chronic disease. We have run eight focus groups with patients and two with carers involving a total of 40 participants. The focus groups were designed to seek patients' and carers' requirements of IHCAs and to identify the criteria they would use to assess them. Analysis revealed that many participants saw the value and potential of IHCAs. Even those with modest previous computer experience could use them with little tuition. The findings from this study have policy implications for the development of applications to maximize the potential benefit of IHCAs to patients and carers.

Making electronic mail accessible: Perspectives of people with acquired cognitive impairments, caregivers and professionals

The primary objective of this study was to better understand the technology needs, barriers and strategies of individuals with acquired cognitive impairments (ACI) in order to design and modify technologies with potential for alleviating the diminished independence and social isolation common in this population. The authors hypothesized that (1) higher rates of computer use would be reported by younger, more highly educated individuals with ACI, those with less severe injuries and those with previous computer experience; (2) A low percentage of survey respondents would own their own computers; and (3) People with ACI would experience social isolation and report low frequency of connecting with important people who live far away. A total of 133 individuals with ACI, professionals and care providers completed the survey. To gain more specific information, seven focus groups were conducted with 66 individuals with ACI and 20 care providers. Finally, 10 current email users participated in structured conversations, detailing their strategies for using email. The survey revealed that 80% of subjects with ACI reported owning a computer. Age and education were not predictors of computer use, but individuals whose ACI was the result of more severe injuries were less likely to use computers. As expected, respondents reported that maintaining contact with distant loved ones is problematic. The focus groups and conversations provided more detail about the communication needs of the population and the relative advantages and disadvantages of email compared with telephone and mail. Participants also identified barriers to email use they had encountered or feared they would encounter when using email. A number of accommodations to overcome these barriers were suggested. The results of the survey, focus groups and conversations confirmed the utility of email and other technologies for people with ACI and the need to make these technologies more accessible. The results and suggestions provided by the focus groups and interviews are being used in the design of Think and Link, an email interface for use by individuals with ACI.

A computer touch-screen version of the North American Spine Society outcome assessment instrument for the lumbar spine

We validated the North American Spine Society (NASS) outcome-assessment instrument for the lumbar spine in a computerised touch-screen format and assessed patients' acceptance, taking into account previous computer experience, age and gender. Fifty consecutive patients with symptomatic and radiologically-proven degenerative disease of the lumbar spine completed both the hard copy (paper) and the computerised versions of the NASS questionnaire. Statistical analysis showed high agreement between the paper and the touch-screen computer format for both subscales (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.94, 95% confidence interval (0.90 to 0.97)) independent of computer experience, age and gender. In total, 55% of patients stated that the computer format was easier to use and 66% preferred it to the paper version (p < 0.0001 among subjects expressing a preference). Our data indicate that the touch-screen format is comparable to the paper form. It may improve follow-up in clinical practice and research by meeting patients' preferences and minimising administrative work.