Computer Interviewing in a Primary Care Office: The Patients are Ready

UNLABELLED Computer patient interviewing has been used since 1968 and must be acceptable to a majority of patients for wide spread use to occur. Computer interviewing is still not used widely in the United States. Potential barriers have not been identified in the literature. METHODS 150 of 164 (91.5%) eligible patients at a family medicine ambulatory practice were enrolled in a study to evaluate computer interview of cough and sore throat complaints. Subjects were given the choice to have the interview in the waiting or examination room. Telephone interviews were conducted 2-4 weeks later with 143/150 patients (95.3%). RESULTS 102/150 (68%) of subjects chose the wait-ing room and 48/150 (32%) chose the examination room for the computer interview. 127/143 (88.8%) were willing to use the computer interview for evaluation of cough or sore throat again in the future. 116/143 (81.1%) were willing to use the computer interview for other medical complaints in the future. CONCLUSIONS Patients are willing to use computer interview-ing and some interviews may be conducted in the waiting room.