The collection of patient-reported symptom and health status information is often a critical component of research evaluating new therapies and treatments. The value of incorporating formal symptom assessment into routine care is less well-established but could include more effective symptom management, more informed decision-making, and enhanced patient satisfaction. Hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients receiving chemotherapy participated in QUEST (Quality-of-life and Utility Evaluation Survey Technology), an intervention collecting patient-reported health status information in the course of routine care utilizing a hand-held personal computer. The standard computerized questionnaire consists of the Katz comorbidity questionnaire, the Quality of Life index, the Rotterdam symptom checklist, the American Urinary Association urinary function questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Brief Pain Inventory for patients who report pain on the screening question. A printed summary feedback report tracking each patient longitudinally is automatically and immediately generated and is affixed to the patient’s chart prior to his clinic appointment. Initial pilot results (n=18) indicate a high burden of symptoms, with 33% of the studied population indicating moderate to severe pain, 17% meeting the diagnostic criteria for depression and/or anxiety disorder, and an additional 33% of patients warranting further evaluation for depression and/or anxiety. The impact of the QUEST-symptom assessment and feedback program on pain, physical and psychological distress, quality of life, urinary function, anxiety, depression, and patient satisfaction is currently being assessed.
Learning Objectives: 1. Recognize and identify the importance of symptom assessment in routine clinical care. 2. Describe the process involved in computerized data collection. 3. Implement an intervention program of patient-reported health information utilizing a hand-held computer
Keywords: Health Assessment, Quality of Life
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.