Background: Patient engagement and adherence are critical to the success of clinical trials. Electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) are increasingly used to evaluate COPD clinical trial endpoints. This study characterized how COPD subjects prefer to use various types of technology to report ePROs in a clinical trial. Methods: 103 subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were surveyed regarding their preferences for using computers, smartphones, and internet in clinical trials. Results: Subjects were diverse in age, sex, ethnicity, and technology use. 44% reported having a computer at home, 33% reported using the internet daily, and 41% reported owning a smartphone. Subjects reported that they would be willing to participate in a clinical trial using the internet for up to 1 month (28%), 2-6 months (15%), or 5+ years (16%). Similarly, subjects were willing to participate in a clinical trial using a smartphone for up to 1 month (29%), 2-6 months (20%), or 5+ years (17%). Subjects preferred to complete a daily electronic diary between the hours of 8am-noon (26%) or 8pm-midnight (21%). Subjects thought it would be necessary (11%) or helpful (74%) to have an audible alarm to remind them to record their symptoms. In a multi-select question, subjects preferred to report their daily symptoms using a provisioned smartphone (63%) or app on their personal smartphone (49%). Conclusions: COPD subjects are willing to use computers, smartphones, and internet in a clinical trial setting. Trial sponsors should consider patient preferences for specific technology features to reduce patient burden and improve engagement and adherence when using ePRO assessments.
