Usability and Satisfaction With an Electronic Survey Administration Application in General Population (CePRO)

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are vital to understanding the impact of a medical condition and treatment from the participant's perspective. However, the collection of data can be inconsistent in both administration and completion due to the method of delivery. Thus, careful consideration of the data collection mode is needed to ensure the quality of the data. The method of delivery has been shown to have a direct effect on the survey response rates thereby ensuring the validity of the data analyses and results. Previous studies have demonstrated an increase in Web-based survey response rates as compared to paper-based survey response rates. Novel methods of collecting PROs may help to streamline both the process and collection of PROs during clinical trials.

A potential differentiating factor between delivering surveys via smart phone and other electronic modes of delivery is the perceived advantage of being able to conveniently complete survey questionnaires at any time and any location. This could help address certain limitations of the quantitative survey method such as recall bias. Furthermore, the portability, connectivity and ubiquity of smartphones may reduce the amount of training or instructions required for users to complete a survey questionnaire on a smartphone. For researchers, this type of survey delivery method may offer the benefits of a wider target audience and reduce research implementation costs. The e-PRO app is designed to further facilitate the delivery of PRO instruments in a convenient manner to participants. Through its computing capability, and user-friendly interface, the e-PRO app can collect data and implement complex scoring requirements, thus supporting the delivery of self-administered survey questionnaires. The goal of this two-arm randomized controlled pilot is to explore the usability and satisfaction with a novel e-PRO app.