PATIENT-INTERACTIVE COMPUTER-SYSTEM FOR OBTAINING MEDICATION HISTORIES

A portable, patient-interactive computerized system for obtaining medi cation histories is described. A comprehensive interview script modeli ng pharmacist-conducted medication-history interviews was written in l ay language. The script contains sections on demographics, current med ical conditions, medication regimen, medication compliance, symptoms, allergy history, dietary history, psychosocial history, and occupation al and environmental exposure; it also asks the patient to evaluate th e system. Some of the information requested is often not obtained by p hysicians during the history and physical examination. A program that conducts the interview by processing a computerized version of the scr ipt was developed with Microsoft QuickBASIC. The program was designed to be run on a personal computer microprocessor so that an interview c an be conducted virtually anywhere by using a desktop or laptop comput er. Summary reports suitable for inclusion in the medical record are g enerated after each interview. Patients using the system took an avera ge of 40 minutes to complete an interview. They entered data easily an d accurately, and they gave the system a high overall rating. The medi cation-history interviewing system described produces useful, comprehe nsive, and consistent reports and requires about the same amount of ti me to conduct an interview as a human interviewer.