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Comparing a self report questionnaire with physician assessment for determining multiple sclerosis clinical disease
A M Bamer1, K Cetin, D Amtmann
1Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. msrrtc@u.washington.edu
Multiple Sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)
|May 1, 2007
Summary
A new graphical self-report tool helps estimate multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical courses in surveys. This method shows substantial agreement with physician assessments, aiding MS research when clinical data is unavailable.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Clinical Research Methodology
Background:
- Accurate determination of multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical course is crucial for research and patient care.
- Patient self-reporting of MS clinical course is often limited by a lack of patient knowledge regarding their specific disease trajectory.
- Existing research methods often require physician assessment, which can be impractical for large-scale or mailed surveys.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel self-report item for graphically assessing multiple sclerosis clinical courses in self-administered surveys.
- To evaluate the accuracy of this self-report item by comparing patient responses to physician-assessed clinical courses.
Main Methods:
- A graphical self-report item was designed to display common MS clinical courses.
- The item's validity was assessed by comparing patient self-assessments with physician-assessed disease courses in 94 MS patients.
- Kappa statistics were used to quantify agreement between self-reported and physician-assessed MS clinical courses.
- The item was further administered via mail to 1371 individuals with MS to assess response patterns.
Main Results:
- Substantial agreement was found between self-assessed and physician-assessed MS clinical courses (kappa=0.45 for four courses; kappa=0.62 for relapsing-remitting vs. others).
- Most individuals responded appropriately to the mailed survey item.
- Individuals with less than a high school education and those over 60 were more likely to not complete the item.
Conclusions:
- The developed graphical self-report item demonstrates substantial agreement with physician assessments for determining multiple sclerosis clinical course.
- This tool offers a viable method for obtaining estimates of MS clinical course in self-report surveys, particularly when physician assessments are not feasible.
- Consideration should be given to educational background and age when utilizing this self-report item in large-scale studies.
