Comparison of interactive voice response (IVR) with paper administration of instruments to assess functional status, sexual function, and quality of life in elderly men

Abstract

Purpose Patient reported outcome (PRO) measures are essential for assessing subjective patient experiences. Interactive voice response (IVR) data collection provides advantages for clinical trial design by standardizing and centralizing the assessment. Prior to adoption of IVR as a mode of PRO administration in The Testosterone Trials (TTrials), we compared IVR to paper versions of the instruments to be used. Methods IVR versions of the FACIT-Fatigue scale and Psychosexual Daily Questionnaire, Question 4 (PDQ-Q4) were developed. In one pilot study, IVR versions of these scales were compared to paper versions in 25 men ≥65 years at each of two clinical sites. In another study, IVR versions of the SF-36 Vitality Scale (SF-36), Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were evaluated in comparison to previously validated paper versions in 25 men at two clinical sites. Both paper and IVR versions of each instrument were administered in counterbalanced order, and test-retest reliability was evaluated by repeated administration of the test. Bland Altman plots were used to assess the degree of agreement. Test-retest correlations for each measure were also determined. Results Satisfactory agreement was observed between IVR and paper versions of each study measure. Specifically, linear and highly positive associations were observed consistently across the study for IVR and paper versions of all study measures. These ranged from r=0.91–0.99. Test-retest reliability for all measures was acceptable or better (r=0.70–0.90). Conclusions The IVR versions of TTrials endpoints in these two studies performed consistently well in comparison to paper versions.

Assessment of Psychological Distress in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Through Technologies: Literature Review

“…ATA can deliver voice messages and gather health-related information from patients using voice recognition programs or touch-tone telephone [ 56 ], in addition to, or instead of, the telephone interaction between health professionals and patients. In particular, ATA has 3 subcategories: (1) unidirectional ATA, which enables one-way, noninteractive voice communication, including, for instance, interventions such as automated reminder calls to take medication; (2) the IVR system, which is the most common form of two-way real-time communication, allowing automated tailored feedback based on the monitoring of an individual’s progress, thereby allowing one-to-one interventions [ 56 , 57 ]; and (3) ATA with additional functions, namely ATA Plus, such as access to an expert to request support and ask questions via telephone or face-to-face meetings, and also the delivery of automated, nonvoice communications such as SMS text messages or email [ 58 ]. ATA—conceived as a data collection tool—presents several advantages compared with the classical face-to-face assessment [ 59 ], such as simplicity, anonymity, and low costs [ 56 , 60 ].…”

Assessment of Psychological Distress in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Through Technologies: Literature Review (Preprint)

“…ATA can deliver voice messages and gather health-related information from patients using voice recognition programs or touch-tone telephone [56], in addition to, or instead of, the telephone interaction between health professionals and patients. In particular, ATA has 3 subcategories: (1) unidirectional ATA, which enables one-way, noninteractive voice communication, including, for instance, interventions such as automated reminder calls to take medication; (2) the IVR system, which is the most common form of two-way real-time communication, allowing automated tailored feedback based on the monitoring of an individual's progress, thereby allowing one-to-one interventions [56,57]; and (3) ATA with additional functions, namely ATA Plus, such as access to an expert to request support and ask questions via telephone or face-to-face meetings, and also the delivery of automated, nonvoice communications such as SMS text messages or email [58]. ATA-conceived as a data collection tool-presents several advantages compared with the classical face-to-face assessment [59], such as simplicity, anonymity, and low costs [56,60].…”