Electronic patient‐reported symptom assessment in palliative end‐of‐life home care

Good symptom control in palliative end‐of‐life home care requires adequate access to patients’ symptom assessments. The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of an electronic symptom assessment reporting system to support symptom control. A randomised controlled study was performed during April 2008–December 2009. The intervention consisted of a networked digital‐pen‐based information system. The primary outcome measure chosen was the time span from the patient's reporting of a symptom to the care providers’ noticing this assessment. Patients with at least moderately severe symptoms were invited to participate in the study. Eighteen (11 intervention, seven control) patients from four home care centres participated, submitting a total of 330 symptom assessments. There was a significantly shorter median time span from reporting to noticing for assessments in the intervention group. The system used allowed both frequent and regular symptom reporting from patients that can contribute to more correct and prompt medical decisions in palliative end‐of‐life home care. Trial registration number: ISRCTN09750271.