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Table 2 International Society for Quality of Life Research Summary of Mode of Administration for PRMs

From: Methodological considerations in using patient reported measures in dialysis clinics

 

Resources Needed

Advantages

Disadvantages

In-Clinic

 Self Admin.

• Personnel to supervise and assist

• Space

• Personnel for data entry

• Low-technology requirements

• Implemented in any clinical setting

• Relatively low cost

• Problem with low literacy patients & visual handicap

• Difficult with other special populations (e.g., very young, very old)

• Higher rate of missing data

 Interview Admin.

• Skilled interviewer

• Space

• Personnel for data entry

• More personal

• In-depth questioning

• No issues with literacy and/or visual handicap

• Relatively expensive

• Social desirability bias

• Staff time

 Computer Admin.

• Personnel to supervise and assist

• Software to collect & report data

• Efficient data capture and entry

• Problems finding space/providing privacy

• Costs to obtain & maintain PRM system

• Potential software problems

Mail

 Self Admin.

• Personnel to manage mailing

• Personnel for data entry

• Low-technology requirements

• Potentially simpler logistics than in-clinic administration

• Relatively low cost

• High non-response rate

• Cannot ensure patient completes questionnaire alone

• Hard to respond immediately to patient needs

• Challenges scheduling assessment near clinical visit

• Other limitations similar to Self-Administered In-Clinic

Telephone

 Interview Admin.

• Skilled interviewer

• Personnel for data entry

• More personal

• More convenient for patient

• Largely circumvents literacy problem and/or visual handicap

• Lack of visual cues as compared to face-to-face

• Relatively expensive

• Potential problem with social desirability

• Some topics may be more difficult to address

 Voice Activated

• Personnel to oversee data collection

• Validated interactive voice response (IVR) system

• Low cost due to automation

• May not be accepted by patients

• Costs to obtain & maintain IVR system

• Requires process to track and respond to any urgent problem reported by patients

• Other disadvantages similar to Live Telephone Interview, plus impersonal nature

Web-Based

• Systems management personnel

• Software to collect and report the PRO data

• Training patients

• Efficient data capture with simultaneous data entry

• Convenient for patient

• Flexible timing for data collection

• Difficult to ensure privacy

• Upfront costs for the PRO system and maintenance

• Potential software problems

  1. Reprinted from Aaronson N, Choucair A, Elliott T, et al. User’s Guide to Implementing Patient-Reported Outcomes Assessment in Clinical Practice. International Society for Quality of Life Research; 2015