Feasibility of Direct Patient Use of PDA-based Surveys

Patient surveys are typically paper-based. Transcription of responses into a computer for analysis and reporting is costly and can introduce error. Computer-based surveys (CBS) are feasible and reliable, but the computers used generally have had large form factors which may deter or prevent some patients from participating. Presenting a survey on a portable digital assistant (PDA) may have advantages outweighing the device=s limitations, but little is known about the ability of untrained patients to use a PDA. A mock PDA-based survey (PBS) was developed and tested in an ambulatory setting. The feasibility and limitations of this approach are discussed.