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Physician-estimated disease severity in patients with chronic heart or lung disease: a cross-sectional analysis
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Physician-estimated disease severity in patients with chronic heart or lung disease: a cross-sectional analysis

Kurt Kroenke, Kathleen W Wyrwich, William M Tierney, Ajit N Babu and Fredric D Wolinsky
Health and quality of life outcomes, Vol.4(1), pp.60-60
09/13/2006
DOI: 10.1186/1477-7525-4-60
PMCID: PMC1621061
PMID: 16970808
url
https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-4-60View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Background: We evaluated how well physicians' global estimates of disease severity correspond to more specific physician-rated disease variables as well as patients' self-rated health and other patient variables. Methods: We analyzed baseline data from 1662 primary care patients with chronic cardiac or pulmonary disease who were enrolled in a longitudinal study of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Each patient's primary physician rated overall disease severity, estimated the two-year risk of hospitalization and mortality, and reported the use of disease-specific medications, test, and subspecialty referrals. Patient variables included sociodemographic characteristics, psychosocial factors, self-rated health, and both generic and disease-specific HRQoL. Results: Physicians rated 40% of their patients "about average", 309% "worse", and 30% "better" than the typical patient seen with the specific target disorder. The physician's global estimate of disease severity was strongly associated (P < 0.001) with each of the five more specific elements of physician-rated disease severity, but only marginally associated with patient self-rated health. Multivariable regression identified a set of patient variables that explained 16.4% of the variance in physician-rated disease severity. Conclusion: Physicians' global ratings may provide disease severity and prognostic information unique from and complementary to patient self-rated health and HRQoL measures. The elements influencing physician-rated disease severity and its predictive validity for clinical outcomes warrant prospective investigation. © 2006 Kroenke et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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