CLINICAL UTILITY AND PATIENT ACCEPTANCE OF THE COMPUTERIZED COMPOSITEINTERNATIONAL DIAGNOSTIC INTERVIEW

Objective: The study evaluated the utility to clinicians and the accep tability to patients of the self-administered computerized version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-Auto) in an acu te psychiatric setting. Methods: Patients admitted to an acute psychia tric unit completed the CIDI-Auto. Reports of CIDI-Auto diagnoses and symptoms were given to treating psychiatrists, who completed a questio nnaire evaluating the accuracy and usefulness of the reports. Patients answered a questionnaire about their attitudes toward computers befor e completing the CIDI-Auto, and after completing it, they answered a q uestionnaire about their reactions to the interview Results: Psychiatr ists agreed with only 50 percent of CIDI-Auto current diagnoses and in dicated that only 22 percent of CIDI-Auto reports provided useful new diagnoses, although 63 percent helped to clarify diagnoses and 58 perc ent could save clinicians some time. They endorsed the CIDI-Auto as a possible aid to indirect or remote diagnosis where histories would be taken by nonexpert staff. Ninety-four percent of patients liked the co mputerized interview, and 83 percent understood the questions without difficulty. Sixty percent felt more comfortable with the computerized interview than with a doctor Education and previous computer experienc e promoted positive attitudes and satisfaction with the computerized i nterview Conclusions: Psychiatrists considered the current CIDI-Auto c ompleted by patients to be of limited value in diagnosis and history t aking. Despite patients' acceptance and positive reactions to the comp uter interview satisfactory computerized diagnosis is yet to be attain ed.