Systems, methods, and software for providing a patient-reported outcome measure of dysphagia patients with eosinophilic esophagitis
Provided herein are computer-based systems, software, and methods of using the same including a daily patient questionnaire, the questionnaire comprising: a question for determining whether the patient avoided solid food; a question for determining whether the patient had difficulty swallowing solid food; a question for determining what action the patient took to correct or relieve difficulty swallowing food; a question for determining the amount of pain the patient experienced while swallowing food; and a software module configured to apply an algorithm to answers to one or more of said questions to determine a score, wherein said score illustrates one or more selected from the group consisting of: (1) severity, intensity, or frequency of patient dysphagia; (2) suitability of a patient for a particular diagnostic tool, diagnostic method, or therapy for dysphagia; and (3) efficacy of a particular therapy for dysphagia.
1. A method of treating dysphagia, the method comprising:
a. providing, via a digital processing device, a daily patient questionnaire to a patient as a diagnostic tool, said questionnaire comprising:
i. at least one of an avoidance question determining whether the patient avoided solid food;
ii. at least one of a frequency question determining frequency of the patient's symptom;
iii. at least one of a response question determining what action, if any, the patient took to correct or relieve the symptom;
iv. at least one of a pain question determining the amount of pain the patient experienced during the symptom;
wherein the questionnaire presents at least a three question combination of the avoidance question, the frequency question, the response question, and the pain question;
b. applying, via the digital processing device, an algorithm to answers to said combination of questions to determine a daily average score,
wherein the algorithm:
scores the at least one avoidance question from 0 to 1;
scores the at least one frequency question from 0 to 1;
scores the at least one response question from 0 to 5;
sums the scores of all the questions presented in the questionnaire; and
calculates the daily average score based on a plurality of scored questionnaires;
c. evaluating the daily average score against a threshold, and
d. administering a corticosteroid therapy to the patient when the daily average score exceeds the threshold.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating patient answers to a centralized database via a software module.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is an average score per questionnaire between 1 and 2.