Comparative effectiveness of an interactive survey and the traditional method for collecting active symptoms and medical history

The purpose of the study was to compare the results of an interactive survey and the traditional method for collecting active symptoms and medical history in patients with respiratory diseases. Methods. The study included 82 patients with respiratory conditions: 45 patients with broncho-obstructive diseases and 37 patients with community-acquired pneumonia, who were divided into subgroups depending on their scores on the Morisky-Green rating scale and the Toronto Аlexithymia Scale. The interactive survey was conducted using the respiratory module of the automated system for preliminary syndromic diagnosis “Electronic Clinic”. Statistical analysis of the study results was carried out using the Statistica 10.0 program. Results. The interactive survey identified the following symptoms of diseases more often than the traditional collection of active symptoms and medical history: productive cough, feeling of chest congestion, wheezing ( p < 0.05), and shortness of breath ( p > 0.05). Conclusion. An interactive survey allows identifying more details about the patient-reported symptoms and minimize the risk of missing important medical information when the doctor is pressed for time or the patients are non-cooperative or have difficulty communicating their feelings and sensations.