Symptom recording in a randomised clinical trial: paper diaries vs. electronic or telephone data capture

Challenges during long-term follow-up of ICU patients with and without chronic disease

“…Advances in this technology have shown it to be successful in improving compliance with study protocols and in the accuracy of information provided by patients. 32,33 Researchers of other follow-up studies planning to use electronic diaries need to ensure patients are comfortable with information technology such as smart phone applications or a web-based method of recording information.…”

A Nasally Applied Cellulose Powder in Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis in Adults with Grass Pollen Allergy: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study

“…The continuous and instantaneous reporting of symptom scores into a database speeds up the study procedure and allows a continuous supervision of the study progress on an individual level. This use of mobile phones implies a further development of e-diaries, a methodology with clear benefits compared to paper records in terms of compliance and data safety [11]. The high response rate in symptom reporting and other aspects of the study may be due to both the interactive design and, as we were told, a strong historical tradition of compliance in the area.…”

The Use of Electronic Diaries in Dermatology Research

“…Three studies reported fewer errors using electronic diaries [3, 7, 10]. Of seven studies assessing participant acceptability, four reported a preference for electronic diaries while three showed no difference [3,5,6,7,8,9,10]. Other significant differences highlighted by the authors include the increased costs of purchase of the devices and the increased set-up times required.…”

“…Five studies reported improved compliance using electronic diaries, while one study in adults reported better compliance with the paper diary method [1, 3, 4, 8, 9]. Four of five studies reported ‘falsification’ using the paper diary method [1,5,6,7]. Three studies reported fewer errors using electronic diaries [3, 7, 10].…”

“…Nine studies were included in the review. Five studies that used electronic methods reported technical problems including malfunction and problems with power leading to a loss of data in 3 of the 5 studies [3,4,5,6,7]. One study reported an 80% reduction in the time needed for data handling when using electronic devices [7].…”