Self-administered clinical questionnaire for outpatients

Area of Science:

• Clinical Informatics
• Patient Data Management

Background:

• Efficient collection of routine clinical information is crucial for effective patient care.
• Traditional doctor-patient consultations can be time-consuming, limiting comprehensive data recording.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the acceptability and utility of a self-administered questionnaire for prerecording outpatient clinical information.
• To assess the impact of the questionnaire on information recording and physician time utilization.

Main Methods:

• A self-administered questionnaire was developed for outpatients to complete prior to their appointments.
• The questionnaire focused on capturing routine clinical data.
• Patient acceptability and administrative feasibility were assessed.

Main Results:

• The self-administered questionnaire was found to be acceptable to outpatients.
• More clinical information was recorded and available in case notes compared to conventional consultations.
• No administrative issues were encountered with distribution, use, or return of the questionnaire.

Conclusions:

• Self-administered questionnaires are a viable and effective tool for prerecording outpatient clinical information.
• Implementing such questionnaires can improve data completeness and optimize physician time, enhancing the efficiency of clinical practice.