Implementing Computer Adaptive Testing in daily care
For our project sponsored by the EFSD/Sanofi European Pilot Research Grants for Innovative Measurement of Diabetes Outcomes, titled ‘Screened it! Validation and implementation of Computerized Adaptive Testing for measuring patient reported outcomes in people with diabetes in diabetes care’, we have validated CATs on patient reported outcomes relevant for diabetes care and research in people with diabetes and studied the implementation of CATs on relevant patient reported outcomes relevant in daily care for people with diabetes.
CATs are an innovative methodology, which allows for selection of specific questions based on the answer(s) to previous questions. For example, if you answer to the first item of a physical functioning questionnaire that you are not able to walk at normal speed, questions on running are omitted. By asking questions tailored to the responses of each patient, CAT reduces patient and administration burden by up to 75%, compared to fixed-item questionnaires.
Using focus groups we have assessed which domains of CATs are important for people with diabetes and we have validated those domains in people with type 2 diabetes. We also have piloted the implementation of CATs in care for people with diabetes, which results were published several scientific publications. Finally, using the documents ‘User’s Guide to Implementing PRO Assessment in Clinical Practice’’ and ‘Implementing Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Clinical Practice: A Companion Guide to the ISOQOL User’s Guide’ as background, we have developed a roadmap (see below) on how other doctors can implement CATs for their patients.
