Computer-assisted medical history taking prior to patient consultation in the outpatient care setting: a prospective pilot project.

Background: Feeding patients' self-reported medical history into the diagnostic care process may accelerate workflows in clinical routine.

Methods: We prospectively piloted a novel medical history documentation system in a German cardiological outpatient practice and evaluated its feasibility and perceived usefulness. Based on a generic software that allows to record structured information, a customized solution for the cooperating practice was developed and implemented.