PASVAR – SMS Patient Answering System

PASVAR – SMS Patient Answering System

The goal of the PASVAR project was to create a system that would use text messages (SMS) to get data from patients in a study. This study was carried out by the National Resource Center for Rehabilitation in Rheumatology (NKRR) to see the effect swimming pools had in rehabilitation. Patients needed to send in their own opinion of their condition based on four scales that ranged from 0 to 10. However, the patients can be traveling and may have trouble to keep the information in a diary. The system offers patients more flexibility and a chance to be reminded to send their answer.

Besides the SMS service, the system also included a web interface for the administering the study and transferring the results to other statistical programs. A pilot showed that the system was more accurate than a pen and paper system. In addition, the pilot participants preferred the SMS system over pen and paper. The system was then used for a yearlong study with over 30 participants.

NR was responsible for creating the system and running it during the study period. The system is based on open-source frameworks and can be adapted for other studies.

 

Images

Architecture for the PASVAR system.

Publications

Dale, O., Schulz, T., Christie, A., & Dagfinrud, H. (2013). Collection of Patient Reported Outcome Measures Using Short Messaging Service. In eTELEMED 2013, The Fifth International Conference on eHealth, Telemedicine, and Social Medicine (pp. 214–219).

Project period

January 2012–September 2012
Department

Partners

National Resource Center for Rehabilitation in Rheumatology (NKRR)