EPROMS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Electronic Patient Reported Outcome Measures in orthopaedic knee and hip arthritis: comparison with paper administration
IRAS ID
326999
Contact name
Farhan Syed
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE NHS TRUST
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
Hip and knee arthritis are severely debilitating conditions that limit people’s activities and impact their overall physical and mental wellbeing. When we are doing research on treatments for arthritis, we commonly use questionnaires to measure things like pain, function and quality of life for patients.
These questionaries were initially designed to be answered on paper format. However, paper questionnaires can be lost or misplaced, can cause errors when the answers are put onto a computer, can cause a delay due to the time needed to post them to the right place, and they result in a lot of paperwork which requires secure storage.
Most people in the UK own or have access to a smartphone, tablet or other devices connected to the internet. Increasingly, questionnaires are being delivered using online surveys rather than paper . There are many potential advantages: convenience for patients, no paperwork to get lost or store, and answers can be received by doctors and other clinical staff immediately.
However, some people prefer to use paper or could find questionnaires on an online survey difficult to use. Also, some researchers think that people may answer questions on an online survey differently from those they would give when using paper. This would suggest that answers on an online survey cannot be interpreted in the same way as those on paper. This could mean that patients and their doctors make decisions about their care which are not the best choices for them.
This research will investigate whether electronic versions of paper questioners produce similar responses from participants.
Who can participate?
People with knee or hip osteoarthritis that are on the waiting list for surgery.
People who have had a total hip replacement or total knee replacement.What does the study involve?
The study involves participants being sent the same questionnaires twice, one of the times will be paper questionnaires, and one time will be via a personalised link emailed to the participants that can be completed online. Participants will be randomised as to when they will receive either version first. There will be a gap of two weeks between receiving either version.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/0989
Date of REC Opinion
4 Oct 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion