Duke Cancer Center patients use Tablet PCs for symptom screening

The Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center began using Tablet PCs for patient check-in and symptom screening last year.
The Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center began using Tablet PCs for patient check-in and symptom screening last year.

Tablet PCs aren’t just for playing video games anymore—they are revolutionizing health care delivery at Duke.

Beginning last year, the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center introduced its patients to a new method of symptom screening with e/Tablets. Instead of filling out paperwork upon arrival at the center, patients in six of the center’s cancer clinics can now check in with hand-held computers. Using these e/Tablets, patients fill out a survey of 88 questions, rating their symptoms on a scale of one to 10—nonexistent to severe—in the waiting rooms.

“It’s a review of any type of symptoms patients might be having—from breathing troubles to coughing to diarrhea to rashes,” said Susan Blackwell, a physicians assistant at the Cancer Center. She added that after patients complete the survey, the computer sends the information to a clinic printer, and doctors are brought up to speed on their patients’ symptoms.

The e/Tablets ensure that all the patients’ symptoms are addressed in one way or another, said clinical research coordinator Danielle King,

“The patient’s going in and going to have a lot of pain—that has to be [addressed] in a small amount of time,” she said. “[With the e/Tablets], you get a bigger picture and you get it right away.”

The survey also features questions relating to psychological health, an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of cancer-patient health. If a patient’s answers in this portion rank higher than 60, counselors are notified.

The majority of patients at the Cancer Center are senior citizens, Blackwell said, noting that many were initially wary of the new technology. She added, however, that once instructed on how to use the computers, patients became more receptive.

Moreover, the computer’s functions extend beyond the questionnaire. Many patients, Blackwell said, enjoy using their time in the waiting room to view health education videos on the hand-held devices.

Dr. Amy Abernethy, program director of the Cancer Center, said the e/Tablets also allow for comprehensive care over longer time periods.

“The e/Tablet is one portion of the information-gathering tide... both at the patient level and the population level,” she said, noting that the computers provide an electronic database, or “warehouse of information,” which in the long term can help improve overall patient care and treatment.

Abernethy also said beyond the scope of individual clinical visits, the data-gathering process also serves another purpose—driving improvement in patient education.

“It’s been the education that has been most important,” she said, referencing the personalized health information, which is displayed on the computer upon completion of the survey. “Once patients finish answering all the questions, they’re able to interact with the educational library,” said Abernethy, adding that the library includes videos and text.

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