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Karnofsky Performance Status Assessment: resident versus attending.
Benny J Liem1, John M Holland, Matt Y Kang
1Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Radiation Oncology, Portland, USA.
Summary
Physician assessments of patient functional status using the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) scale show high agreement. Attending and resident physicians demonstrated similar KPS scoring, indicating consistent evaluation of patient performance.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Clinical Assessment
Background:
- The Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) scale is widely utilized for evaluating patient functional capacity.
- Accurate assessment of functional status is crucial for treatment planning and prognosis in oncology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) scoring consistency between attending and resident physicians.
- To evaluate inter-rater reliability for KPS assessments in radiation oncology.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 117 patients undergoing radiation therapy simulation were independently assessed.
- KPS scores were assigned by both attending and resident physicians between September 1999 and March 2000.
Main Results:
- The median KPS score assigned by both attending and resident physicians was 80.
- Identical KPS scores were recorded for 43% of patients.
- When scores differed, the discrepancy was a minimal 10 points in 75% of cases.
- A high Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.85 (p<0.01) was observed.
Conclusions:
- Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) scoring demonstrates substantial agreement between attending and resident physicians in radiation oncology.
- These findings support the reliability of KPS assessments performed by physicians at different training levels.