Comparing Patients’ Opinions on the Hospital Discharge Process Collected With a Self-Reported Questionnaire Completed Via the Internet or Through a Telephone Survey: An Ancillary Study of the SENTIPAT Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Hospital discharge, a critical stage in the hospital-to-home transition of patient care, is a complex process with potential dysfunctions having an impact on patients’ health on their return home. No study has yet reported the feasibility and usefulness of an information system that would directly collect and transmit, via the Internet, volunteer patients’ opinions on their satisfaction concerning the organization of hospital discharge. Objective Our primary objective was to compare patients’ opinions on the discharge process collected with 2 different methods: self-questionnaire completed on a dedicated website versus a telephone interview. The secondary goal was to estimate patient satisfaction. Methods We created a questionnaire to examine hospital discharge according to 3 dimensions: discharge logistics organization, preplanned posthospital continuity-of-care organization, and patients’ impressions at the time of discharge. A satisfaction score (between 0 and 1) for each of those dimensions and an associated total score were calculated. Taking advantage of the randomized SENTIPAT trial that questioned patients recruited at hospital discharge about the evolution of their health after returning home and randomly assigned them to complete a self-questionnaire directly online or during a telephone interview, we conducted an ancillary study comparing satisfaction with the organization of hospital discharge for these 2 patient groups. The questionnaire was proposed to 1141 patients included in the trial who were hospitalized for ≥2 days, among whom 867 eligible patients had access to the Internet at home and were randomized to the Internet or telephone group. Results Of the 1141 patients included, 755 (66.17%) completed the questionnaire. The response rates for the Internet (39.1%, 168/430) and telephone groups (87.2%, 381/437) differed significantly (P<.001), but their total satisfaction scores did not (P=.08) nor did the satisfaction subscores (P=.58 for discharge logistics organization, P=.12 for preplanned posthospital continuity-of-care organization, and P=.35 for patients’ impressions at the time of discharge). The total satisfaction score (median 0.83, IQR 0.72-0.92) indicated the patients’ high satisfaction. Conclusions The direct transmission of personal health data via the Internet requires patients’ active participation and those planning surveys in the domain explored in this study should anticipate a lower response rate than that issued from a similar survey conducted by telephone interviews. Nevertheless, collecting patients’ opinions on their hospital discharge via the Internet proved operational; study results indicate that conducting such surveys via the Internet yields similar estimates to those obtained via a telephone survey. The results support the establishment of a permanent dedicated website that could also be used to obtain users’ opinions on other aspects of their hospital stay and follow-up. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01769261; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01769261 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6ZDF5bdQb).

Other:

1a-i) Identify the mode of delivery in the title
Identify the mode of delivery. Preferably use "web-based" and/or "mobile" and/or "electronic game" in the title. Avoid ambiguous terms like "online", "virtual", "interactive". Use "Internet-based" only if Intervention includes non-web-based Internet components (e.g. email), use "computer-based" or "electronic" only if ofoine products are used. Use "virtual" only in the context of "virtual reality" (3-D worlds). Use "online" only in the context of "online support groups". Complement or substitute product names with broader terms for the class of products (such as "mobile" or "smart phone" instead of "iphone"), especially if the application runs on different platforms. 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "a Self-Reported Questionnaire Completed Via the Internet"

1a-ii) Non-web-based components or important co-interventions in title
Mention non-web-based components or important co-interventions in title, if any (e.g., "with telephone support").
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1a-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Through a Telephone Survey" 1a-iii) Primary condition or target group in the title Mention primary condition or target group in the title, if any (e.g., "for children with Type I Diabetes") Example: A Web-based and Mobile Intervention with Telephone Support for Children with Type I Diabetes: Randomized Controlled Trial 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1a-iii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Patients' Opinions on the Hospital-Discharge Process" 1b) ABSTRACT: Structured summary of trial design, methods, results, and conclusions NPT extension: Description of experimental treatment, comparator, care providers, centers, and blinding status.

1b-i) Key features/functionalities/components of the intervention and comparator in the METHODS section of the ABSTRACT
Mention key features/functionalities/components of the intervention and comparator in the abstract. If possible, also mention theories and principles used for designing the site. Keep in mind the needs of systematic reviewers and indexers by including important synonyms. (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1b-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Taking advantage of the randomized SENTIPAT trial that questioned patients recruited at hospital discharge about the evolution of their health after returning home and randomly assigned them to complete a self-questionnaire directly online or during a telephone interview"

1b-ii) Level of human involvement in the METHODS section of the ABSTRACT
Clarify the level of human involvement in the abstract, e.g., use phrases like "fully automated" vs. "therapist/nurse/care provider/physician-assisted" (mention number and expertise of providers involved, if any). (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1b-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "a self-questionnaire directly online" 1b-iii) Open vs. closed, web-based (self-assessment) vs. face-to-face assessments in the METHODS section of the ABSTRACT Mention how participants were recruited (online vs. ofoine), e.g., from an open access website or from a clinic or a closed online user group (closed usergroup trial), and clarify if this was a purely web-based trial, or there were face-to-face components (as part of the intervention or for assessment). Clearly say if outcomes were self-assessed through questionnaires (as common in web-based trials). Note: In traditional ofoine trials, an open trial (open-label trial) is a type of clinical trial in which both the researchers and participants know which treatment is being administered. To avoid confusion, use "blinded" or "unblinded" to indicated the level of blinding instead of "open", as "open" in web-based trials usually refers to "open access" (i.e. participants can self-enrol). (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1b-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "patients recruited at hospital discharge" "randomly assigned them to complete a self-questionnaire directly online or during a telephone interview" 1b-iv) RESULTS section in abstract must contain use data Report number of participants enrolled/assessed in each group, the use/uptake of the intervention (e.g., attrition/adherence metrics, use over time, number of logins etc.), in addition to primary/secondary outcomes. (Note: Only report in the abstract what the main paper is reporting. If this information is missing from the main body of text, consider adding it) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 1b-iv?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript abstract (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Does your paper address subitem 2a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "None of those investigations sought the participation of patients via the internet, even though its use by patients has increased markedly " "In this context, we undertook a study aimed at estimating the contribution of a system based on the direct transmission via a dedicated website of volunteer patients' self-reported experiences on their own hospitaldischarge process." Does your paper address subitem 2a-ii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Some studies especially evaluated the quality of the hospital-discharge process based on patients' opinions. Specific tools were used and at different times compared to that of hospital discharge: telephone, face-to-face interview or self-administered paper questionnaires. None of those investigations sought the participation of patients via the internet, even though its use by patients has increased markedly."

2b) In INTRODUCTION: SpeciUc objectives or hypotheses
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 2b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "For our ancillary study focused on the organization of hospital discharge, the primary objective was to compare the satisfaction of internet and telephone groups, hypothesizing no significant difference according to the data-collection method. The secondary goal was to analyze patients' opinions on the different components of discharge process." METHODS 3a) Description of trial design (such as parallel, factorial) including allocation ratio Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 3a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "This investigation was conceived as an ancillary study of the multicenter, randomized SENTIPAT trial" 3b) Important changes to methods after trial commencement (such as eligibility criteria), with reasons Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 3b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study

Not Applicable
No change

3b-i) Bug /xes, Downtimes, Content Changes
Bug Uxes, Downtimes, Content Changes: ehealth systems are often dynamic systems. A description of changes to methods therefore also includes important changes made on the intervention or comparator during the trial (e.g., major bug Uxes or changes in the functionality or content) (5-iii) and other "unexpected events" that may have inouenced study design such as staff changes, system failures/downtimes, etc. [2].
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 3b-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study

4a) Eligibility criteria for participants
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 4a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study 13/03/15 10:25 "We took advantage of the trial to examine patients' opinions on the organization of their hospital discharge: SENTIPAT participants were also asked to describe their experience with this process." "patients not cognitively impaired and without a behavioral disorder, speaking and writing French, returning home after an acute-care hospitalization, regardless of the type of stay (standard hospitalization (scheduled or not), weekday only (maximum Monday to Friday or any combination thereof) or outpatient hospitalization (1-day)) and not

4a-i) Computer / Internet literacy
Computer / Internet literacy is often an implicit "de facto" eligibility criterion -this should be explicitly clariUed.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 4a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Consecutive patients with internet access at home were eligible for inclusion." "Patients not eligible, ie, with the same characteristics as those randomized but without internet access at home, were also included at a ratio of 1 noneligible to 4 eligible patients" 4a-ii) Open vs. closed, web-based vs. face-to-face assessments: Open vs. closed, web-based vs. face-to-face assessments: Mention how participants were recruited (online vs. ofoine), e.g., from an open access website or from a clinic, and clarify if this was a purely web-based trial, or there were face-to-face components (as part of the intervention or for assessment), i.e., to what degree got the study team to know the participant. In online-only trials, clarify if participants were quasianonymous and whether having multiple identities was possible or whether technical or logistical measures (e.g., cookies, email conUrmation, phone calls) were used to detect/prevent these.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 4a-ii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "They were enrolled the day of hospital discharge and randomized into 2 groups (stratified by department): internet or telephone follow-up."

4a-iii) Information giving during recruitment
Information given during recruitment. Specify how participants were briefed for recruitment and in the informed consent procedures (e.g., publish the informed consent documentation as appendix, see also item X26), as this information may have an effect on user self-selection, user expectation and may also bias 13/03/15 10:25 results.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 4a-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "volunteer patients" "not opposed to participating in the trial" 4b) Settings and locations where the data were collected Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 4b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The hospital-discharge questionnaire was administrated to patients during a telephone interview with a clinical research technician 7 days after discharge (the appointment was scheduled the day of discharge) for the telephone and noneligible patients, with a maximum of 3 attempts to contact them. The same questionnaire was available on the dedicated website as of the day of discharge (D0), for the internet group and was completed directly inline by the patient" 4b-i) Report if outcomes were (self-)assessed through online questionnaires Clearly report if outcomes were (self-)assessed through online questionnaires (as common in web-based trials) or otherwise.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 4b-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The hospital-discharge questionnaire was administrated to patients during a telephone interview with a clinical research technician 7 days after discharge (the appointment was scheduled the day of discharge) for the telephone and noneligible patients" "The same questionnaire was available on the dedicated website as of the day of discharge (D0), for the internet group and was completed directly inline by the patient" 4b-ii) Report how institutional af/liations are displayed Report how institutional afUliations are displayed to potential participants [on ehealth media], as afUliations with prestigious hospitals or universities may affect volunteer rates, use, and reactions with regards to an 13/03/15 10:25 intervention.(Not a required item -describe only if this may bias results) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 4b-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study

5)
The interventions for each group with sufUcient details to allow replication, including how and when they were actually administered

5-i) Mention names, credential, af/liations of the developers, sponsors, and owners
Mention names, credential, afUliations of the developers, sponsors, and owners [6] (if authors/evaluators are owners or developer of the software, this needs to be declared in a "Conoict of interest" section or mentioned elsewhere in the manuscript).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not Applicable

5-ii) Describe the history/development process
Describe the history/development process of the application and previous formative evaluations (e.g., focus groups, usability testing), as these will have an impact on adoption/use rates and help with interpreting results.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-ii?

5-iii) Revisions and updating
Revisions and updating. Clearly mention the date and/or version number of the application/intervention (and comparator, if applicable) evaluated, or describe whether the intervention underwent major changes during the evaluation process, or whether the development and/or content was "frozen" during the trial.
Describe dynamic components such as news feeds or changing content which may have an impact on the replicability of the intervention (for unexpected events see item 3b).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not Applicable

5-iv) Quality assurance methods
Provide information on quality assurance methods to ensure accuracy and quality of information provided [1], if applicable.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-iv?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not Applicable 5-v) Ensure replicability by publishing the source code, and/or providing screenshots/screencapture video, and/or providing ]owcharts of the algorithms used Ensure replicability by publishing the source code, and/or providing screenshots/screen-capture video, CONSORT-EHEALTH (V 1.6.1) -Submission/Publication Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KlxFl4iTrxRIWADX-jCukJwHv4lE5I... and/or providing oowcharts of the algorithms used. Replicability (i.e., other researchers should in principle be able to replicate the study) is a hallmark of scientiUc reporting.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-v?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not Applicable

5-vi) Digital preservation
Digital preservation: Provide the URL of the application, but as the intervention is likely to change or disappear over the course of the years; also make sure the intervention is archived (Internet Archive, webcitation.org, and/or publishing the source code or screenshots/videos alongside the article). As pages behind login screens cannot be archived, consider creating demo pages which are accessible without login.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-vi?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not Applicable

5-vii) Access
Access: Describe how participants accessed the application, in what setting/context, if they had to pay (or were paid) or not, whether they had to be a member of speciUc group. If known, describe how participants obtained "access to the platform and Internet" [1]. To ensure access for editors/reviewers/readers, consider to provide a "backdoor" login account or demo mode for reviewers/readers to explore the application (also important for archiving purposes, see vi).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-vii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study 13/03/15 10:25 "The same questionnaire was available on the dedicated website as of the day of discharge (D0), for the internet group and was completed directly inline by the patient, who had been given oral and written instructions (information sheet) to connect for the first time 7 days post-discharge." 5-viii) Mode of delivery, features/functionalities/components of the intervention and comparator, and the theoretical framework Does your paper address subitem 5-viii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study The hospital-discharge questionnaire was administrated to patients during a telephone interview with a clinical research technician 7 days after discharge (the appointment was scheduled the day of discharge) for the telephone and noneligible patients, with a maximum of 3 attempts to contact them. The same questionnaire was available on the dedicated website as of the day of discharge (D0), for the internet group and was completed directly inline by the patient, who had been given oral and written instructions (information sheet) to connect for the first time 7 days post-discharge. "Reminders" were sent once weekly for 6 weeks after

5-ix) Describe use parameters
Describe use parameters (e.g., intended "doses" and optimal timing for use). Clarify what instructions or recommendations were given to the user, e.g., regarding timing, frequency, heaviness of use, if any, or was the intervention used ad libitum.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-ix?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not Applicable

5-x) Clarify the level of human involvement
Clarify the level of human involvement (care providers or health professionals, also technical assistance) in the e-intervention or as co-intervention (detail number and expertise of professionals involved, if any, as well as "type of assistance offered, the timing and frequency of the support, how it is initiated, and the medium by which the assistance is delivered". It may be necessary to distinguish between the level of human involvement required for the trial, and the level of human involvement required for a routine application outside of a RCT setting (discuss under item 21 -generalizability).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-x?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study The hospital-discharge questionnaire was administrated to patients during a telephone interview with a clinical research technician" "The same questionnaire was available on the dedicated website as of the day of discharge (D0), for the internet group and was completed directly inline by the patient"

5-xi) Report any prompts/reminders used
Report any prompts/reminders used: Clarify if there were prompts (letters, emails, phone calls, SMS) to use the application, what triggered them, frequency etc. It may be necessary to distinguish between the level of prompts/reminders required for the trial, and the level of prompts/reminders for a routine application outside of a RCT setting (discuss under item 21 -generalizability).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 5-xi? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Reminders" were sent once weekly for 6 weeks after discharge to potential responders (of the internet group) who had so far failed to complete the discharge questionnaire."

5-xii) Describe any co-interventions (incl. training/support)
Describe any co-interventions (incl. training/support): Clearly state any interventions that are provided in addition to the targeted eHealth intervention, as ehealth intervention may not be designed as stand-alone intervention. This includes training sessions and support [1]. It may be necessary to distinguish between the level of training required for the trial, and the level of training for a routine application outside of a RCT setting (discuss under item 21 -generalizability.
Does your paper address subitem 5-xii? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not Applicable 6a) Completely deUned pre-speciUed primary and secondary outcome measures, including how and when they were assessed Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 6a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Our primary objective was to compare patients' opinions on the discharge process collected with 2 different methods: self-questionnaire completed on a dedicated website versus a telephone interview. The secondary goal was to estimate patient satisfaction." 6a-i) Online questionnaires: describe if they were validated for online use and apply CHERRIES items to describe how the questionnaires were designed/deployed If outcomes were obtained through online questionnaires, describe if they were validated for online use and apply CHERRIES items to describe how the questionnaires were designed/deployed [9].
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 6a-i?

Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript text
The questionnaire explored 3 hospital-discharge dimensions (henceforth referred to as 3 items) addressed in 17 questions (Table 1): dischargelogistics organization (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5 and Q11C-E), henceforth referred to as item 1; preplanned post-hospital continuity-of-care organization (Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9 and Q10), henceforth referred to as item 2; and the patients' impressions during discharge (Q11A, B, F and G), henceforth referred to as item 3." Table 1 6a-ii) Describe whether and how "use" (including intensity of use/dosage) was de/ned/measured /monitored Describe whether and how "use" (including intensity of use/dosage) was deUned/measured/monitored (logins, logUle analysis, etc.). Use/adoption metrics are important process outcomes that should be reported in any ehealth trial.

6b) Any changes to trial outcomes after the trial commenced, with reasons
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 6b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Not Applicable 7a) How sample size was determined NPT: When applicable, details of whether and how the clustering by care provides or centers was addressed 7a-i) Describe whether and how expected attrition was taken into account when calculating the sample size Describe whether and how expected attrition was taken into account when calculating the sample size.

2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential
Does your paper address subitem 7a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from manuscript title (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study SENTIPAT randomized trial https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT01769261 Calculation was based on non-inferiority between two collection sources (Internet vs Telephone) of clinically significant adverse events in eligible patients.

7b) When applicable, explanation of any interim analyses and stopping guidelines
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 7b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study 8a) Method used to generate the random allocation sequence NPT: When applicable, how care providers were allocated to each trial group Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 8a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study SENTIPAT randomized trial https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT01769261 SENTIPAT presents as a multi-center (five departments within the same hospital) non-inferiority randomized trial comparing the internet and telephone arms.
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 8b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "They were enrolled the day of hospital discharge and randomized into 2 groups (stratified by department): internet or telephone follow-up." 9) Mechanism used to implement the random allocation sequence (such as sequentially numbered containers), describing any steps taken to conceal the sequence until interventions were assigned Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 9? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study SENTIPAT randomized trial https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT01769261 10) Who generated the random allocation sequence, who enrolled participants, and who assigned participants to interventions Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 10? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study SENTIPAT randomized trial https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT01769261 11a) If done, who was blinded after assignment to interventions (for example, participants, care providers, those assessing outcomes) and how NPT: Whether or not administering co-interventions were blinded to group assignment CONSORT-EHEALTH (V 1.6.1) -Submission/Publication Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KlxFl4iTrxRIWADX-jCukJwHv4lE5I...
11a-i) Specify who was blinded, and who wasn't Specify who was blinded, and who wasn't. Usually, in web-based trials it is not possible to blind the participants [1, 3] (this should be clearly acknowledged), but it may be possible to blind outcome assessors, those doing data analysis or those administering co-interventions (if any). 11a-ii) Discuss e.g., whether participants knew which intervention was the "intervention of interest" and which one was the "comparator" Informed consent procedures (4a-ii) can create biases and certain expectations -discuss e.g., whether participants knew which intervention was the "intervention of interest" and which one was the "comparator".
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 11a-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Internet" was the intervention of interest and "Telephone" was the comparator. Information letter for participants (SENTIPAT trial) 11b) If relevant, description of the similarity of interventions (this item is usually not relevant for ehealth trials as it refers to similarity of a placebo or sham intervention to a active medication/intervention) Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 11b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study 13/03/15 10:25 12a-i) Imputation techniques to deal with attrition / missing values Imputation techniques to deal with attrition / missing values: Not all participants will use the intervention/comparator as intended and attrition is typically high in ehealth trials. Specify how participants who did not use the application or dropped out from the trial were treated in the statistical analysis (a complete case analysis is strongly discouraged, and simple imputation techniques such as LOCF may also be problematic [4]).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 12a-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Missing data were taken into account as follows: nonresponding patients and incomplete questionnaires were excluded from the analyses. Also, for questions not concerning the patient, the "response" nonapplicable was used and they were not included in the analyses. " subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem X26-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study SENTIPAT randomized trial https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT01769261

x26-ii) Outline informed consent procedures
Outline informed consent procedures e.g., if consent was obtained ofoine or online (how? Checkbox, etc.?), and what information was provided (see 4a-ii). See [6] for some items to be included in informed consent documents.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem X26-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study SENTIPAT randomized trial https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT01769261 CONSORT-EHEALTH (V 1.6.1) -Submission/Publication Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KlxFl4iTrxRIWADX-jCukJwHv4lE5I...

X26-iii) Safety and security procedures
Safety and security procedures, incl. privacy considerations, and any steps taken to reduce the likelihood or detection of harm (e.g., education and training, availability of a hotline) 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem X26-iii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study SENTIPAT randomized trial https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT01769261 RESULTS 13a) For each group, the numbers of participants who were randomly assigned, received intended treatment, and were analysed for the primary outcome NPT: The number of care providers or centers performing the intervention in each group and the number of patients treated by each care provider in each center Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 13a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Table 2 13b) For each group, losses and exclusions after randomisation, together with reasons Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 13b? (NOTE: Preferably, this is shown in a CONSORT ]ow diagram) * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Figure 1 13b-i) Attrition diagram Strongly recommended: An attrition diagram (e.g., proportion of participants still logging in or using the intervention/comparator in each group plotted over time, similar to a survival curve) or other Ugures or tables demonstrating usage/dose/engagement. 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 13b-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript or cite the Ugure number if applicable (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Figure 1 14a) Dates deUning the periods of recruitment and follow-up Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 14a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Between 25/02/2013 and 08/09/2014" 14a-i) Indicate if critical "secular events" fell into the study period Indicate if critical "secular events" fell into the study period, e.g., signiUcant changes in Internet resources available or "changes in computer hardware or Internet delivery resources" 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 14a-i?
14b) Why the trial ended or was stopped (early) Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 14b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study

15) A table showing baseline demographic and clinical characteristics for each group
NPT: When applicable, a description of care providers (case volume, qualiUcation, expertise, etc.) and centers (volume) in each group Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 15? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Table 2 16) For each group, number of participants (denominator) included in each analysis and whether the analysis was by original assigned groups 16-i) Report multiple "denominators" and provide de/nitions Report multiple "denominators" and provide deUnitions: Report N's (and effect sizes) "across a range of study participation [and use] thresholds" [1], e.g., N exposed, N consented, N used more than x times, N used more than y weeks, N participants "used" the intervention/comparator at speciUc pre-deUned time points of interest (in absolute and relative numbers per group). Always clearly deUne "use" of the intervention.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 16-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "with respective internet and telephone response rates of 39.1% (168/430), 87.2% (381/437)" See also Table 2 16-ii) Primary analysis should be intent-to-treat Primary analysis should be intent-to-treat, secondary analyses could include comparing only "users", with the appropriate caveats that this is no longer a randomized sample (see 18-i).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 16-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Intent-to-treat per se 17a) For each primary and secondary outcome, results for each group, and the estimated effect size and its precision (such as 95% conUdence interval) Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 17a? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Table 2 and Table 3 17a-i) Presentation of process outcomes such as metrics of use and intensity of use In addition to primary/secondary (clinical) outcomes, the presentation of process outcomes such as metrics of use and intensity of use (dose, exposure) and their operational deUnitions is critical. This does not only refer to metrics of attrition (13-b) (often a binary variable), but also to more continuous exposure metrics such as "average session length". These must be accompanied by a technical description how a metric like a "session" is deUned (e.g., timeout after idle time) [1] (report under item 6a).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 17a-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study Table 3 17b) For binary outcomes, presentation of both absolute and relative effect sizes is recommended Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 17b? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information 13/03/15 10:25 not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study

18-i) Subgroup analysis of comparing only users
A subgroup analysis of comparing only users is not uncommon in ehealth trials, but if done, it must be stressed that this is a self-selected sample and no longer an unbiased sample from a randomized trial (see 16-iii).
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 18-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study

19) All important harms or unintended effects in each group
(for speciUc guidance see CONSORT for harms) Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 19? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to CONSORT-EHEALTH (V 1.6.1) -Submission/Publication Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KlxFl4iTrxRIWADX-jCukJwHv4lE5I...

22)
Interpretation consistent with results, balancing beneUts and harms, and considering other relevant evidence NPT: In addition, take into account the choice of the comparator, lack of or partial blinding, and unequal expertise of care providers or centers in each group 22-i) Restate study questions and summarize the answers suggested by the data, starting with primary outcomes and process outcomes (use) Restate study questions and summarize the answers suggested by the data, starting with primary outcomes and process outcomes (use). Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Such an information system could also be used for other management issues related to healthcare organization." 20) Trial limitations, addressing sources of potential bias, imprecision, and, if relevant, multiplicity of analyses

20-i) Typical limitations in ehealth trials
Typical limitations in ehealth trials: Participants in ehealth trials are rarely blinded. Ehealth trials often look at a multiplicity of outcomes, increasing risk for a Type I error. Discuss biases due to non-use of the intervention/usability issues, biases through informed consent procedures, unexpected events. Does your paper address subitem 20-i? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "Our study has several limitations. Inherent to studies requiring an active participation, responders constitute an intrinsic biased selection sample of patients. Moreover, differences are introduced by the questionnaire administration mode (internet vs telephone)."

21) Generalisability (external validity, applicability) of the trial Undings
NPT: External validity of the trial Undings according to the intervention, comparators, patients, and care providers or centers involved in the trial

21-i) Generalizability to other populations
Generalizability to other populations: In particular, discuss generalizability to a general Internet population, outside of a RCT setting, and general patient population, including applicability of the study results for other organizations 1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 21-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The results of this study advocate for establishing a permanent information system that would enable volunteering patients to express their opinions concerning hospital discharge. Such an information system could also be used for other management issues related to healthcare organization. "

21-ii) Discuss if there were elements in the RCT that would be different in a routine application setting
Discuss if there were elements in the RCT that would be different in a routine application setting (e.g., prompts/reminders, more human involvement, training sessions or other co-interventions) and what impact the omission of these elements could have on use, adoption, or outcomes if the intervention is applied outside of a RCT setting.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem 21-ii?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The results of this study advocate for establishing a permanent information system that would enable volunteering patients to express their opinions concerning hospital discharge. "

23) Registration number and name of trial registry
Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 23? * Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study SENTIPAT Randomized Trial Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01769261 24) Where the full trial protocol can be accessed, if available Does your paper address CONSORT subitem 24? * Cite a Multimedia Appendix, other reference, or copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "The Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (Département de la Recherche Clinique et du Développement) was the trial sponsor. The SENTIPAT study was funded by grant AOM09213 K081204 from Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique 2009 (Ministère de la Santé). This work was supported by a grant from Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, program "Recherche Infirmière. The sponsor and the funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript."

X27) Conoicts of Interest (not a CONSORT item)
X27-i) State the relation of the study team towards the system being evaluated In addition to the usual declaration of interests (Unancial or otherwise), also state the relation of the study team towards the system being evaluated, i.e., state if the authors/evaluators are distinct from or identical with the developers/sponsors of the intervention.
1 2 3 4 5 subitem not at all important essential Does your paper address subitem X27-i?
Copy and paste relevant sections from the manuscript (include quotes in quotation marks "like this" to indicate direct quotes from your manuscript), or elaborate on this item by providing additional information not in the ms, or brieoy explain why the item is not applicable/relevant for your study "None declared"

About the CONSORT EHEALTH checklist
As a result of using this checklist, did you make changes in your manuscript? * yes, major changes yes, minor changes no What were the most important changes you made as a result of using this checklist?
How much time did you spend on going through the checklist INCLUDING making changes in your manuscript *