OBJECTIVES: Patient reported outcome (PRO) tools at our institution have focused traditionally on in-clinic evaluation. In anticipation of real time home electronic reporting, we assessed whether patients were willing to complete symptom/toxicity PRO tools prior to their clinic visits. Such tools may be more accurate and reliable but depend on patient motivation. METHODS: One hundred and seventy-two cancer outpatients were recruited at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Patients were surveyed on their preferences for completing a currently established institutional electronic symptom/toxicity PRO tool when administered outside the clinic on an electronic platform, such as on a tablet or smartphone.  RESULTS: The median participant age was 56.5 years and 58% were female. 74% were Caucasian and 67% had some post-secondary education; 58% had local disease. Of the participants, 48% (83/172) indicated that they would not wish to complete the PRO tool in advance of attending their clinic appointments and only 15% (25/172) agreed or strongly agreed. Fair to moderate agreement (weighted kappa=0.41) existed between willingness/unwillingness to complete the PRO tool in advance and willingness/unwillingness to fill it out electronically. Lack of willingness was not associated with any clinico-demographic factors. Patients generally felt that the tool was not difficult to use (91%) and did not take too long (81%) to complete.  CONCLUSIONS: Patients were not willing to fill out a PRO tool electronically in advance of clinic visits, even though they were completing it at their outpatient clinic. Such data collection must be tied to a transparent clinical purpose that patients see as an integral part of their health care. Other avenues for collecting outpatient drug toxicities outcomes should be investigated.