OBJECTIVES: Quality of life (QoL) information is increasingly used in research. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of collecting electronic QoL data in UK general practices that can be linked to patients’ anonymous electronic medical records. METHODS: Patients ≥18 years who visited one of three practices contributing data to The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database during a 31-day period were included. Patients were asked to complete an experimental electronic questionnaire based on the EQ5D questionnaire and EQ5Dvas (Visual Analogue Scale) on a personal digital assistant (PDA) (Pocket Vision, Inchware). Data were analysed and each practice was interviewed shortly after study end for feedback. Acceptability rate was defined as the patients completing the questionnaire divided by the patients asked to participate; feasibility rate was the proportion of visiting patients asked to participate. RESULTS: In total, 177 of 5058 visiting patients, were asked to participate with mean age 47.6 years (standard deviation (SD):17.7) versus 51.6 years (SD:19.0) (p-value=0.003) for patients not asked (n=4881). The overall acceptability rate was 93.2% (164/176, one patient excluded as recorded as both accepted and declined). Mean age for patients completing the questionnaire was 47.0 years (SD:17.3) versus 51.0 years (SD:17.1) for patients declining (p-value=0.447). There was no difference between genders. The overall feasibility rate was 3.5%(177/5058): 10.1%(94/929) for Practice-1, 1.1%(16/1529) for Practice-2, 2.6%(67/2600) for Practice-3. Practices suggested that multiple PDAs could have been helpful and it was time-consuming to monitor the PDA; however, they preferred the electronic method over paper questionnaires and were happy to repeat the experiment.  CONCLUSIONS: The high acceptability rate suggests that patients are prepared to provide electronic QoL data. This may also be owing to practices targeting younger patients who appear more familiar with electronic devices. Though feasibility rates differed across practices, all were willing to take part again, supporting electronic QoL data collection.