Searching for the optimal measuring frequency in longitudinal studies -- an example utilizing short message service (SMS) to collect repeated measures among patients with low back pain

摘要

BackgroundMobile technology has opened opportunities within health care and research to allow for frequent monitoring of patients. This has given rise to detailed longitudinal information and new insights concerning behaviour and development of conditions over time.Responding to frequent questionnaires delivered through mobile technology has also shown good compliance, far exceeding that of traditional paper questionnaires. However, to optimize compliance, the burden on the subjects should be kept at a minimum.In this study, the effect of using fewer data points compared to the full data set was examined, assuming that fewer measurements would lead to better compliance.