COMPARATIVE STUDY
JOURNAL ARTICLE
RESEARCH SUPPORT, NON-U.S. GOV'T
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Randomized trials with quality of life endpoints: are doctors' ratings of patients' physical symptoms interchangeable with patients' self-ratings?

The assessment of physical symptoms is a key component of quality of life studies in palliative care, but is often hampered by missing data from patient-completed questionnaires. In two large multicentre randomized trials of palliative treatment conducted by the Medical Research Council Lung Cancer Working Party, Involving over 700 patients, patients completed Rotterdam Symptom Checklists and doctors reported on eleven of the same physical symptoms at each assessment, using the same 4-point severity scale. Ratings by doctors and patients were compared with respect to compliance, severity, and outcomes for the respective trials. Doctors provided more data than patients: 66% vs. 52% in the first 6 months in one trial, 58% vs. 61% in the other. Comparisons of over 33,000 symptom assessments showed 78% complete agreement between doctor and patient, 18% disagreement by one, 4% two, and 1% three grades (complete disagreement). There was no change in levels of agreement over time, but increasing disagreement with increasing symptom severity, and a consistent bias towards doctors underestimating severity. Nevertheless, the two methods of data collection resulted in similar between-treatment conclusions. Therefore, in randomized trials the doctors' assessments of key physical symptoms may be sufficient for the between-treatment comparison. However, the fact that doctors underestimate symptom severity 15% of the time has important implications for palliative interventions.

Full text links

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Group 7SearchHeart failure treatmentPapersTopicsCollectionsEffects of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Patients With Heart Failure Importance: Only 1 class of glucose-lowering agents-sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors-has been reported to decrease the risk of cardiovascular events primarily by reducingSeptember 1, 2017: JAMA CardiologyAssociations of albuminuria in patients with chronic heart failure: findings in the ALiskiren Observation of heart Failure Treatment study.CONCLUSIONS: Increased UACR is common in patients with heart failure, including non-diabetics. Urinary albumin creatininineJul, 2011: European Journal of Heart FailureRandomized Controlled TrialEffects of Liraglutide on Clinical Stability Among Patients With Advanced Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Review

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Read by QxMD is copyright © 2021 QxMD Software Inc. All rights reserved. By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app