title: [Inter-observer agreement tests in cataract epidemiology surveys].
abstract: Inter-observer agreement on cataract diagnosis performed by two examiners was evaluated. The classification systems employed were the Japanese Cataract Cooperative Epidemiology Study Group System (Jap-CCESGS) and Lens Opacity Classification System (LOCS II). Examiner A was a highly trained specialist who has been involved in the development of Jap-CCESGS, but had no experience in the application of LOCS II. Examiner B had no experience in either system and was given explanations about both classification systems a few days before the first application. During the first examination, the inter-observer agreement using the Jap-CCESGS ranged from 37.5% to 83.3%, and the kappa values from 0.22 to 0.58. Regarding LOCS II, they ranged from 39.6% to 68.8% and from 0.18 to 0.29, respectively. Before the second examination, there was a training session utilizing both slit and retroillumination images of the previous subjects. Inter-observer agreement and the kappa value obtained from the second examination ranged from 70.1% to 93.4% and from 0.42 to 0.50 in the Jap-CCESGS and those in the LOCS II ranged from 61.3% to 94.2% and from 0.49 to 0.55, respectively. To obtain high grade results in cataract investigations that apply a unified classification system, training sessions are required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masuyama
mesh_terms: D002386:Cataract / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015588:Observer Variation