The assessment of a computer administered questionnaire in the differential diagnosis of asthma and chronic airflow limitation

We have tested a computer administered respiratory symptom questionnaire in patients with asthma, chronic airflow limitation, and subjects with no evidence of respiratory disease. The questionnaire was highly effective at distinguishing patients with respiratory disease from those without. However, the responses of asthmatic patients and patients with CAL to the majority of questions were similar though the responses to four out of 11 questions were significantly different. We conclude that such a computer administered questionnaire is of limited value in distinguishing patients with asthma and CAL, underlining the importance of objective tests in this differential diagnosis.