Data Quality and Cost-effectiveness Analyses of Electronic and Paper-Based Interviewer-Administered Public Health Surveys: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: A population-level survey (PLS) is an essential and standard method used in public health research that supports the quantification of sociodemographic events, public health policy development, and intervention designs. Data collection mechanisms in PLS seem to be a significant determinant in avoiding mistakes. Using electronic devices such as smartphones and tablet computers improves the quality and cost-effectiveness of public health surveys. However, there is a lack of systematic evidence to show the potential impact of electronic data collection tools on data quality and cost reduction in interviewer-administered surveys compared with the standard paper-based data collection system. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to evaluate the impact of the interviewer-administered electronic data collection methods on data quality and cost reduction in PLS compared with traditional methods. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, the Web of Science, EconLit, Cochrane CENTRAL, and CDSR to identify relevant studies from 2008 to 2018. We included randomized and nonrandomized studies that examined data quality and cost reduction outcomes, as well as usability, user experience, and usage parameters. In total, 2 independent authors screened the title and abstract, and extracted data from selected papers. A third author mediated any disagreements. The review authors used EndNote for deduplication and Rayyan for screening. RESULTS: Our search produced 3817 papers. After deduplication, we screened 2533 papers, and 14 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. None of the studies were randomized controlled trials; most had a quasi-experimental design, for example, comparative experimental evaluation studies nested on other ongoing cross-sectional surveys. A total of 4 comparative evaluations, 2 pre-post intervention comparative evaluations, 2 retrospective comparative evaluations, and 4 one-arm noncomparative studies were included. Meta-analysis was not possible because of the heterogeneity in study designs, types, study settings, and level of outcome measurements. Individual paper synthesis showed that electronic data collection systems provided good quality data and delivered faster compared with paper-based data collection systems. Only 2 studies linked cost and data quality outcomes to describe the cost-effectiveness of electronic data collection systems. Field data collectors reported that an electronic data collection system was a feasible, acceptable, and preferable tool for their work. Onsite data error prevention, fast data submission, and easy-to-handle devices were the comparative advantages offered by electronic data collection systems. Challenges during implementation included technical difficulties, accidental data loss, device theft, security concerns, power surges, and internet connection problems. CONCLUSIONS: Although evidence exists of the comparative advantages of electronic data collection compared with paper-based methods, the included studies were not methodologically rigorous enough to combine. More rigorous studies are needed to compare paper and electronic data collection systems in public health surveys considering data quality, work efficiency, and cost reduction. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/10678.

Data Quality and Cost-Effectiveness Analyses of Electronic and Paper-Based Interviewer-Administered Public Health Surveys: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Population-level survey is an essential standard method used in public health research to quantify sociodemographic events and support public health policy development and intervention designs with evidence. Although all steps in the survey can contribute to the data quality parameters, data collection mechanisms seem the most determinant, as they can avoid mistakes before they happen. The use of electronic devices such as smartphones and tablet computers improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of public health surveys. However, there is lack of systematically analyzed evidence to show the potential impact on data quality and cost reduction of electronic-based data collection tools in interviewer-administered surveys. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to evaluate the impact of interviewer-administered electronic device data collection methods concerning data quality and cost reduction in population-level surveys compared with the traditional paper-based methods. METHODS: We will conduct a systematic search on Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Global Health, Trip, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for studies from 2007 to 2018 to identify relevant studies. The review will include randomized and nonrandomized studies that examine data quality and cost reduction outcomes. Moreover, usability, user experience, and usage parameters from the same study will be summarized. Two independent authors will screen the title and abstract. A third author will mediate in cases of disagreement. If the studies are considered to be combinable with minimal heterogeneity, we will perform a meta-analysis. RESULTS: The preliminary search in PubMed and Web of Science showed 1491 and 979 resulting hits of articles, respectively. The review protocol is registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42018092259). We anticipate January 30, 2019, to be the finishing date. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review will inform policymakers, investors, researchers, and technologists about the impact of an electronic-based data collection system on data quality, work efficiency, and cost reduction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42018092259; http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?ID= CRD42018092259. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/10678.

An Online Differential Cost Estimator Tool to Support Cost Planning of Demographic and Health Surveys Using Mobile Electronic Device or Paper and Pen Methods: A Function of Sample Size.

The use of mobile devices for a house to house interview-administered survey data collection is becoming a practice along with the paper-based data collection tools. Though the electronic data capture mechanism is supposed to improve the efficiency of the data collection mechanism and the quality of the data, there is limited evidence on the cost-effectiveness of the technologies. This project aims to develop an online pre-implementation survey cost estimator to support the planning and decision of implementing agency. Scalable costs with sample size were estimated using parametric cost estimating technique. In this article, we used Introduction, State of the art, Concept, Implementation, Lessons Learned (ISCIL) format to present the overall development process of this online cost estimator.

Data Collection of Medication - Impact of Autocompletion in eCRFs on Efficiency and Data Quality.

OBJECTIVE: Openclinica Input Completion (OIC) was developed to increase the efficiency to enter drugs in eCRF in OpenClinica®. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact on efficiency and data quality as well as usability. METHODS: 20 participants were asked to input 15 drugs with the new tool and by hand. RESULTS: The mean input time got decreased from 16:12m to 3:59m. 31 of 300 (10%) of manual entered medication data sets had one or more errors versus 10 of 300 (3,3%) data sets entered with OIC. CONCLUSION: OIC was able to increase efficiency and data quality. We conclude that new additions to the graphical user interface in electronical Case-Report-Form (eCRF) systems should be validated before usage in research projects.

Contactless Patient Monitoring for General Wards: A Systematic Technology Review.

INTRODUCTION: Sudden, serious life-threatening situations happen even on general wards. Current technologies are working with sensors which are attached to every patient, which is a source of failures and false alarms. The goal of this review was to assess the state of the art of potential techniques for contactless patient monitoring in general wards. METHODS: The MEDLINE database was used for literature retrieval. RESULTS: 453 unique references screened, 34 research articles met inclusion criteria. Ballistocardiography, Radar and Thermography technologies are the most widely tested techniques. The Majority of the studies are done in a laboratory setting. No study shows the feasibility of one contactless monitoring technology over the distance required for monitoring rooms. CONCLUSION: Today no technology is feasible. A combination of technologies may become feasible in 10 or more years, until then we have to think about ethical and privacy issues of these pervasive technologies.

Version changes in medical software: proposing minimal requirements for release notes and a version number convention - an operators' point of view.

Medical software--like any other software--is susceptible to errors. To avoid false system behaviour or attenuate its consequences, system operators need to know about changes in the software. The goal of this proposal is to define terms and minimum requirements regarding documentation for a version change from the operator's point of view, especially in the domain of medical software or software as a medical device (SaMD). The results are a classification of version changes (Upgrade: breaks support for a rollback to a prior version, Major Update: either substantial configuration or user education needed, Minor Update: minor configuration or user information needed, Patch: collection of (small) changes that require neither configuration nor user information.). Additionally, minimal requirements for release notes are determined and a document structure recommended.