Electronic diaries for monitoring chronic pain: 1-year validation study

Electronic data collection for monitoring pain has become increasingly popu lar in clinical research. However, no direct comparison has been made betwe en electronic diaries and self-report paper diaries or phone interviews. We asked 36 patients with chronic low back pain to monitor their pain for 1 y ear; 20 of them used both a palmtop computer and paper diaries. and 16 used paper diaries alone. All patients were called once a week and asked to rat e their pain. Regression analyses with a measurement error model were run o n hourly pain scores recorded by both palmtop computer and paper diaries. R atings of pain intensity were highly reliable between data recorded with a palmtop computer and with data from paper diaries. Patients who monitored t heir pain with the palmtop computer entered data on average 6.75 times a we ek and were 89.9% compliant with daily monitoring throughout the year. Two- way messaging available through the palmtop computer seemed to encourage co ntinued use of the device. Internal consistency of reporting and correlatio ns with phone reports and standardized measures were highly significant, su ggesting that data from electronic diaries are both reliable and valid. pat ients using electronic diaries preferred them to paper diaries and showed m uch higher rates of compliance and satisfaction over the 1-year trial. (C) 2001 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.