Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 6, 1760-1767, Copyright © 1988 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Computerized telephone assessment of the "concrete" needs of chemotherapy outpatients: a feasibility study
K Siegel, FP Mesagno, JY Chen, L Klein, ME Bowles, M McKenna, S Peyser and G Christ
Department of Social Work, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021.
The feasibility of using a computer-automated telephone outreach system to
routinely assess the needs of chemotherapy outpatients was evaluated. The
automated intervention was designed as a cost-efficient strategy for
assessing patients' needs on a periodic basis so that emerging needs could
be identified in a timely way. Ninety-seven chemotherapy outpatients were
surveyed at least once over the telephone by a computer in a high-quality,
digitally stored voice asking 12 questions regarding the patients'
"concrete" needs. Early results of this larger ongoing study, in which
patients are scheduled to be called every 4 to 6 weeks for approximately
four months, indicated that computer-automated surveys had broad-based
acceptance among our outpatients and that patients were able to comply
accurately with the survey's instructions. Furthermore, the speech
recognition system was found to be reliable, and patients' response
patterns to the automated surveys valid. Nonparticipation in this study
(28.0%) was not substantially higher than in our previous research within
this patient population and neither nonparticipation nor attrition appeared
significantly attributable to the automation itself. This method offers the
potential for cost-efficient, universal, and ongoing assessment of patient
needs, facilitating timely intervention, and efficient use of professional
staff.
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