Agreement between electronic and paper Epworth Sleepiness Scale responses in obstructive sleep apnoea: secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial undertaken in a specialised tertiary care clinic

Objectives: Originally developed as a paper questionnaire, the electronic Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is widely used in sleep clinics and sleep population research. Despite potential differences between computer-based and conventional questionnaire delivery, studies have not evaluated the agreement between electronic and paper versions of the ESS. Given the widespread use of the ESS, a bias between results would present considerable data concerns. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine agreement between electronic and paper ESS responses in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Design: We undertook a secondary analysis of baseline data from a randomised controlled trial (ANZCTR: ACTRN12611000847910). Setting: Data were collected in a tertiary sleep research laboratory located in Sydney, Australia. Participants: Data were analysed from 112 adult OSA patients. Measurements: Patients were given the English version of the ESS as part of a battery of sleep laboratory questionnaires. They co...