Using Computers to Improve Medical History Taking
Author Information
Author(s): Zakim David, Braun Niko, Fritz Peter, Alscher Mark Dominik
Primary Institution: IDM Foundation Institute of Digital Medicine
Hypothesis
Can a computer-based solution improve the accuracy and completeness of medical histories compared to physician-acquired histories?
Conclusion
Combining physician and computer-acquired histories significantly enhances the collection of important medical information.
Supporting Evidence
- The computer histories reported 160 problems not recorded in physician histories.
- Patients reported a high level of satisfaction with the computer history-taking process.
- 69% of patients believed their medical care would be enhanced after the computer-assisted interview.
Takeaway
Using a computer to ask patients about their health can find more problems than just asking a doctor alone.
Methodology
Patients were interviewed using both physician-acquired and computer-acquired histories, with comparisons made on a patient-by-patient basis.
Potential Biases
Potential bias from patients' prior experiences with physicians may affect their responses during computer interviews.
Limitations
The study was limited to patients in specific medical services and did not account for prior physician interviews influencing patient responses.
Participant Demographics
Patients included both men and women, with a mean age of 58 years, and about half had not used a computer before.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website