title: Interrater reliability of the Glasgow Coma Scale.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to test the interrater reliability of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) when used in assessing neurologically impaired patients. In order to control variables, a videotape was developed of seven patients with different neurological impairments. A total of 57 nurses and physicians with varying degrees of education and experience used the GCS to score the patient responses. These responses were then compared for consensus and against a criterion standard. The comparison showed a low disagreement rating and a moderate to high agreement rating demonstrating that this tool has good interrater reliability (p = 0.000). Nurses may use this tool with confidence as one measure of assessment in evaluating neurologically impaired patients.
authors.affiliation: Cottonwood Hospital, Murray, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Juarez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lyons
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009733:Nursing Diagnosis; D015588:Observer Variation; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results