The reaction of psychiatric patients to computerized assessment.

A questionnaire was given following test administration in either a standard or computerized form, to 367 psychiatric patients who completed up to eight psychometric tests. Patients responded in the computerized versions by using either a keyboard or a touch-screen. In general, the evaluation of both test forms was positive and fewer differences were detected than had been expected. Where differences existed, the computerized forms were found more enjoyable, especially in the case of the simpler tests, but were also reported to be less comprehensible and less clear in the case of some of the more complex ones. Subjective estimates of attainment and willingness to undergo further testing were largely unaffected by test form. The touch-screen was preferred to the keyboard in the simpler tests, but in other cases there was evidence that prior experience of the standard form of the test facilitated performance. The findings support the feasibility of creating computerized tests which are essentially parallel to standard original forms, but point to the need to understand the complex factors which govern the users' evaluation of human-computer interaction. However, computerized assessment seems to be entirely acceptable to clinical psychiatric patients.