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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2010 Jul-Aug;17(4):403-10.
doi: 10.1136/jamia.2010.005660.

Effects of a computer-supported interactive tailored patient assessment tool on patient care, symptom distress, and patients' need for symptom management support: a randomized clinical trial

Cornelia M Ruland  1 , Harald H Holte, Jo Røislien, Cathy Heaven, Glenys A Hamilton, Jørn Kristiansen, Heidi Sandbaek, Stein O Kvaløy, Line Hasund, Misoo C Ellison
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of a computer-supported interactive tailored patient assessment tool on patient care, symptom distress, and patients' need for symptom management support: a randomized clinical trial

Cornelia M Ruland et al. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2010 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effects of a computer-assisted, interactive tailored patient assessment (ITPA) tool in oncology practice on: documented patient care, symptom distress, and patients' need for symptom management support during treatment and rehabilitation.

Design and methods: For this repeated measures clinical trial at a university hospital in Norway, 145 patients starting treatment for leukemia or lymphoma were randomly assigned to either an intervention (n=75) or control group (n=70). Both groups used the ITPA for symptom assessments prior to inpatient and outpatient visits for up to one year. The assessment summary, which displayed patients' self-reported symptoms, problems, and distress in rank-order of the patient's need for support, was provided to physicians and nurses in the intervention group only but not in the control group.

Results: Significantly more symptoms were addressed in the intervention group patient charts versus those of the control group. Symptom distress in the intervention group decreased significantly over time in 11 (58%) of 19 symptom/problem categories versus 2 (10%) for the control group. Need for symptom management support over time also decreased significantly more for the intervention group than the control group in 13 (68%) symptom categories.

Conclusion: This is the first study to show that an ITPA used in an interdisciplinary oncology practice can significantly improve patient-centered care and patient outcomes, including reduced symptom distress and reduced need for symptom management support.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Enrollment, randomization, and follow-up of study participants.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Group differences over time on symptom distress including degrees of freedom (df) to reflect numbers of observations and p-values for problem categories with significant group differences.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Group differences over time on patients' prioritized need for symptom management support. Trends in patients' prioritized need for symptom management support over time are shown for both groups with p-values for categories that have significant group differences.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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