More patients with sensitive concerns were identified after implementation of a self-administered screening with a tablet-based app in primary care practices, according to a research letter published in JAMA Network Open. David P. Miller Jr., MD, and colleagues evaluated data from six participating practices (N=23,026 patients) to determine if more patients with depression, fall risk, or intimate partner violence were identified in the 60 days after the mPATH app was launched versus the 60 days before, when nursing staff asked the same questions verbally. Use of the app varied from 10.3% to 60.5% across all clinics, due to differences in how often front desk staff handed the tablet to patients. More than twice as many patients screened positive after the app was launched, even with suboptimal uptake of the app. For all screening domains, there were significant increases across all clinics, including for patients who reported thoughts of self-harm, injurious falls, or “that conflicts sometimes turn into physical fights.” This association remained unchanged after accounting for patient characteristics (adjusted OR, 2.6).
