Using a computer-tailored COPD screening assessment to promote advice-seeking behaviors()

BACKGROUND: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, despite evidence there is a high proportion of underdiagnosis. Online screening assessments are low-cost solutions to identify high-risk adults who may benefit from confirmatory screening (ie, spirometry test). Little evidence exists to support whether high-risk adults seek advice after completing COPD screening assessments and from whom. The purpose of this study is to examine how the perceived quality of an online screening assessment influences high-risk adults to seek advice from a healthcare provider or other online resources. METHODS: Adults without a prior COPD diagnosis (N = 199) completed an online survey that included a computer-tailored assessment programmed with the clinically validated COPD Population Screener (COPD-PS). RESULTS: An elevated COPD risk score was associated with expectations to talk with a healthcare provider (P < 0.05) or go on the Internet (P < 0.05) to get advice, controlling for statistically significant covariates. Positive perceptions about the quality of the risk score was associated with strengthened expectations to speak with a healthcare provider, but only among high-risk adults (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study support the use of computer-tailored screening assessments as a scalable solution to encourage high-risk adults to learn more about COPD. Strengthened perceptions about the quality of an online COPD screening assessment increased the likelihood that high-risk adults will speak with their healthcare provider about the condition. Implications are discussed for leveraging telehealth solutions, such as conversational agents (ie, chatbots), to disseminate COPD screening assessments and alleviate its underdiagnosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not applicable