Harold P. Erdman

Performance of two forms of a computer psychiatric screening interview: Version I of the DISSI

This study reports on the performance of two forms of version I of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) computer screening interview, using the traditional interviewer-administered DIS (T-DIS) as the standard. The screening interview was either self-administered (called the S-DISSI) with the subject keying in responses, or interviewer-administered (I-DISSI), with the interviewer keying in the subjects responses. Sensitivity and specificity for both forms were ample (excluding antisocial personality), ranging from 60% to 100% for sensitivity and 54% to 95% for specificity. Concordances with the T-DIS were similar for both forms of the screening interview, ranging from .10 to .87 and compared favorably to those reported by other investigators. The I-DISSI took on average 30 min less than either the T-DIS and S-DISSI. Since the performances of both versions were equivalent, the decision to use either may be based on available resources and characteristics of the study population.

The reliability of a computer interview for drug use/abuse information

A computer interview was developed to collect information about drug use/abuse from high school students. Responses to this interview were compared with those obtained from an identical paper-and-pencil questionnaire given to the same students, in counterbalanced order. Results were comparable for the two methods, but missing data and logically inconsistent answers obtained with the paper-and-pencil questionnaire were not possible with the computer interview. The overwhelming majority of respondents preferred the computer interview as a means of data collection.

A probabilistic system for identifying suicide attemptors

Abstract This paper reports the results of a study to develop and pilot test a system for screening potential suicide attemptors. The system includes a computer interview of patients complaining of suicidal thoughts and Bayesian processing (using subjective probability estimation) of the results of that interview. The results suggest that the system may significantly imporve the health fields ability to identify suicide attemptors.

Clinical Computer Applications in Mental Health

Direct patient-computer interviews were among the earliest applications of computing in medicine. Yet patient interviewing and other clinical applications have lagged behind fiscal, administrative, and research uses. Several reasons for delays in the development and implementation of clinical computing programs are discussed. Patient interviewing, clinician consultation, and other applications of clinical computing in mental health are reviewed, as well as changes that will facilitate their appropriate use.

Computer Interviewing: Beyond Data Collection

The promise of improved patient care through better data collection by computer interviewing has not been realized as rapidly as proponents had hoped. Some difficulties were overlooked altogether or inappropriately minimized and the general problem of perfecting the feedback process to physicians was substantially underestimated. This paper reviews the problems and prospects of the field of computer interviewing, presents suggestions for next developmental steps, and raises questions about additional possible uses of computer interviews.