Valérie Boucher1,2,3,4,5,6, Marie-Eve Lamontagne4,5,6, Jacques Lee7,8, Pierre-Hugues Carmichael5, Julien Déry4,5,6, Marcel Émond1,2,3,4,5. 1. Centre de recherche sur les soins et les services de première ligne de l'Université Laval (CERSSPL-UL). 2. Centre intégré universitaire de santé et services sociaux (CIUSSS) de la Capitale-Nationale. 3. Axe Santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Canada. 4. Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada. 5. Centre d'excellence sur le vieillissement de Québec, Québec, Canada. 6. Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale, Québec, Canada. 7. Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. 8. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, Toronto, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: patient self-assessment using electronic tablet could improve the quality of assessment of older Emergency Department(ED) patients. However, the acceptability of this practice remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: to compare the acceptability of self-assessment using a tablet in the ED to a standard assessment by a research assistant (RA), according to seniors and their caregivers. DESIGN: randomised crossover pilot study. SETTING: The Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus (CHU de Québec-Université Laval) (2018/05-2018/07). SUBJECTS: (1) ED patients aged ≥65, (2) their caregiver, if present. METHODS:participants' frailty, cognitive and functional status were assessed with the Clinical Frailty scale, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Older American Resources and Services scale and patients self-assessed using a tablet. Test administration order was randomised. The primary outcome, acceptability, was measured using the Treatment Acceptability and Preferences (TAP) scale. Descriptive analyses were performed for sociodemographic variables. TAP scores were adjusted using multivariate linear regression. Thematic content analysis was performed for qualitative data. RESULTS:sixty-seven patients were included. Mean age was 75.5 ± 8.0 and 55.2% were women. Adjusted TAP scores for RA evaluation and patient self-assessment were 2.36 and 2.20, respectively (P = 0.08). Patients aged ≥85 showed a difference between the TAP scores (P < 0.05). Qualitative data indicates that this might be attributed to the use of technology. Data from nine caregivers showed a 2.42 mean TAP score for RA evaluation and 2.44 for self-assessment. CONCLUSIONS: our results show that older patients believe self-assessment in the ED using an electronic tablet as acceptable as a standard evaluation by a research assistant. Patients aged ≥85 find this practice less acceptable.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND:patient self-assessment using electronic tablet could improve the quality of assessment of older Emergency Department(ED) patients. However, the acceptability of this practice remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: to compare the acceptability of self-assessment using a tablet in the ED to a standard assessment by a research assistant (RA), according to seniors and their caregivers. DESIGN: randomised crossover pilot study. SETTING: The Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus (CHU de Québec-Université Laval) (2018/05-2018/07). SUBJECTS: (1) ED patients aged ≥65, (2) their caregiver, if present. METHODS:participants' frailty, cognitive and functional status were assessed with the Clinical Frailty scale, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Older American Resources and Services scale and patients self-assessed using a tablet. Test administration order was randomised. The primary outcome, acceptability, was measured using the Treatment Acceptability and Preferences (TAP) scale. Descriptive analyses were performed for sociodemographic variables. TAP scores were adjusted using multivariate linear regression. Thematic content analysis was performed for qualitative data. RESULTS: sixty-seven patients were included. Mean age was 75.5 ± 8.0 and 55.2% were women. Adjusted TAP scores for RA evaluation and patient self-assessment were 2.36 and 2.20, respectively (P = 0.08). Patients aged ≥85 showed a difference between the TAP scores (P < 0.05). Qualitative data indicates that this might be attributed to the use of technology. Data from nine caregivers showed a 2.42 mean TAP score for RA evaluation and 2.44 for self-assessment. CONCLUSIONS: our results show that older patients believe self-assessment in the ED using an electronic tablet as acceptable as a standard evaluation by a research assistant. Patients aged ≥85 find this practice less acceptable.