A computer-administered interview on life events: improving patient-doctor communication.

A computer-administered interview on life events (CAI-LEV) was developed for use by patients in the waiting room of the model family practice unit at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina. Computer printouts of CAI-LEV are immediately available for doctor/patient communication, so that CAI-LEV fits into ongoing patient flow and care. Throughout a three-month study, confidentiality of information was protected by the use of numbers for patient responses to questions in 16 areas covering a wide range of possible life events. The adept physician can utilize the printout to assess stress in the patient's current situation, to focus quickly on any particular area of concern, or to initiate a counseling session. Of some 250 completed interview, 93 have been reviewed by residents and faculty after in-depth utilization during patient care. Of these 93 physician-evaluated interviews, 40 percent yielded important new information, while in 22 percent of the cases, doctor/patient communication was improved.