OBJECTIVES: Verification of the feasibility and reliability of the electronic version of Chinese SF-36 (based on the Quality-of-Life-Recorder) before its wide deployment. METHODS: Cross-over randomized controlled trial, comparing a paper based and an electronic version of the SF-36. According to generated random numbers, interviewees were asked to fill out either the electronic version or the paper version first. The second version was filled in after a pause of at least 30 minutes (medical students), or at least 10 minutes (patients). Convenience sample consisted of one group of 50 medical students and the other group of 100 patients. RESULTS: The acceptance of the electronic version was good (60% of medical students and 84% of patients preferred the electronic version). At the level of eight-scale scores, the mean-difference for each scale (except for General Health) between the two versions was less than 5%. At the level of 36 questions, the percentage of “Exact Agreement” ranged within 64-99%; the percentage of “Global Agreement” ranged within 72-99%; 77% of the Kappa coefficients demonstrated “good/excellent agreement” and 23% of the Kappa coefficients demonstrated “medium agreement”. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the feasibility and acceptance of an electronic version of the Chinese SF-36, as well as the agreement of results collected with paper-based and electronic version. The electronic versions may contribute to widespread deployment of this questionnaire.