title: [The degree of Objective Health Burden (OHB) - an expert assessment of the impairment caused by somatic illnesses in geriatric medicine].
abstract: The degree of Objective Health Burden (OHB) is an expert assessment of the impairment caused by somatic illnesses. It allows an overall clinical rating of the severity of a patient's somatic condition, considering all available information, not only the content or number of diagnoses. The rating on a five point scale is demonstrated with clinical examples. Interrater-reliability is satisfactory, being at least 0.74. External criteria indicate the OHB's validity. As the OHB is easy to comprehend and to employ, it is suitable for broad clinical application in geriatric basic assessment as well as for scientific purposes.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Domagkstrasse 11, D-48149 Münster.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Nehen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heuft
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011594:Psychometrics; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012803:Sick Role