title: Interexaminer agreement on palpatory diagnosis and patient self-assessment of disability: a pilot study.
abstract: To evaluate interexaminer agreement on palpatory diagnostic findings, we compared interexaminer results, patient disability self-evaluations, and assessment of patients' progress by referring physicians. Three examiners (two clinicians and a third-year osteopathic medical student fellow) monitored patients' progress using negotiated examination procedures. The patients were examined independently by each examiner at each of eight weekly visits. Patients completed a disability assessment form at each visit, and the referring physicians recorded changes in their patients' condition. The patients' disability self-rating and examiner test results did not show clear correlation. There was a 62.2% agreement between the two physician examiners when the general descriptors "improvement," "no change," or "aggravation" were used. The student examiner's agreement with the clinician examiners was 60.2% and 51.8%. Interexaminer agreement of findings from osteopathic testing procedures appears to depend on general clinical experience and specific experience with the testing procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens 45701.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Beal
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Patriquin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010021:Osteopathic Medicine; D010173:Palpation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013337:Students, Medical