Self-management skills may be assessed by paper-and-pencil or web-based approaches. Cruz-Correia and coworkers in Portugal compared a web-based asthma self-management tool to paper-and-pencil methods in assessing the opinion of patients and their adherence to monitoring asthma. Twenty-one adults with asthma were included in a crossover study using the web-based program or a paper asthma diary and action-plan each for 4 weeks in a random sequence. More negative comments were generated in using paper-and-pencil tools versus the web-based approach; more positive comments were obtained with the web-based method. More patients using the latter were interested in continue monitoring their asthma. Paper diary records were thorough, although more patients reported filling it out several days at once. This was not allowed with the web-based method.

VALUE OR STUDY TO READER: Participants liked the web-based approach better than completing paper-and-pencil assessment tools. In addition, the web-based method resulted in more reliable data. With the increased use of the Internet and personal computers, additional studies can be expected using web-based tools to monitor chronic illnesses.

R Cruz-Correia et al. Web-based or paper-based self-management tools for asthma--patients' opinions and quality of data in a randomized crossover study. Student Health Technology Information, 2007;127:178-189.