Reliability of distance estimation by doctors and patients: cross sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the reliability and accuracy of distance estimated by doctors and patients.


METHODS
Comparison between estimated and measured distances of six familiar sites around Guy's Hospital, London.


METHODS
100 hospital consultants and 100 patients.


METHODS
Median (range) of estimated distances, and mean (SD) of the difference between estimated and measured distances.


RESULTS
Both doctors and patients gave a wide range of estimates of distance. The estimates differed by up to 14.6-fold from the measured distances, and the difference between minimum and maximum estimates was up to 62.5-fold.


CONCLUSIONS
Doctors and patients were inaccurate at estimating distances, which implies that estimates of distances walked are not reliable indicators of a person's health.
Sharrack
B
B
Department of Neurology, United Medical School, Guy's Hospital, London.
Hughes
R A
RA
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004215:Distance Perception; D006801:Humans; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016138:Walking