Background Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are accepted modalities of gathering patient-reported health status such as physical, mental and social well-being. In addition to research applications, in some countries such as the United States, some of these measures are being considered as metrics for quality of care. The advent and wide spread use of the electronic medical record (EMR) in the United States has enabled providers (and patients) to collect PROMs electronically via patient portals (1).

At the University of Michigan, the patient medical record is maintained by MiChart- an EPIC®software which interfaces with the Patient Reported Outcomes Measures System –PROMIS (2)- an NIH funded project for development of assessment tools for collecting and analyzing patient health status. Our initial effort focused on integrating the PROMIS questionnaires into the patient EMR for two domains: Adult Physical Function and Pain Intensity Scores into patient portals (electronic patient-physician communication tool), thus enabling patient to complete questionnaires from home computers. Our collection rate of completed PROMs questionnaires via patient portals was about 5–10%.

Objectives The aim of our project was to examine/enhance collection rate of PROMs with the utilization of portable devices /tablet based PROMs at the time of check-in the clinic by the patient.

Methods PROMs data was collected from all patients visiting one of the outpatient rheumatology clinics at the University of Michigan from July 1,2016 – Jan 31, 2017. An Android based tablet using Welcome ® software was handed to every patient with instructions to complete a questionnaire on Adult Physical Function and Pain Intensity Score – PROMIS based questionnaires on patient-reported outcome measures. The results were stored in the patients EMR.

Results Between July 1st 2016 and Jan 31st, 2017, we collected PROMs on patients via patient portals (home computers) and in office mobile devices- tablets. Assisted completion was done by clinic staff on a clinic desk top computer. Total of 2059 out of 2554 patients invited to participate completed the PROMs questionnaires. Of those patients that answered the questionnaires, 82% were done on a mobile device, 10% of patients used the home portal, 8% of patients needed in office assistance. 20% of patients did not answer the questionnaires.

Conclusions Mobile devices are being increaseinlgy used by the patients in the United States for capture of PROMs. Mobile devices increased the PROMs collection rate from approximately 10% to 80% when combining both home portal (home PC) and an office based mobile device (Tablet). Mobile devices alone accounted for >80% of the collection rate of PROMs. In an era of changing information technology, the utilization of mobile devices for PROMs should be explored as a preferred modality.

References

1. Wagner L, et al. Integrating the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System(PROMIS) symptom assessment into routine cancer care. Cancer 2015 Mar 15;121(6):927–34.

2. http://www.nihpromis.com/.

References

Disclosure of Interest V. Ognenovski: None declared, K. Burger: None declared, K. Weiss: None declared, L. Esser: None declared, D. Khanna Grant/research support from: Bayer, BMS, Genentech/Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, NIH K24AR063120, Consultant for: Actelion, Bayer, Covis, Cytori, EMD Serono, Genentech/Roche, Gilead, GSK, Sanofi-Aventis