Evaluating the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales. Reliability and validity in a three-year follow-up of first-onset psychosis.
BACKGROUND
The HoNOS has been developed as a routine measure of outcomes in mental health.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the validity and interrater reliability of HoNOS in a first-onset psychosis follow-up study.


METHODS
Between 1992 and 1994 we ascertained a cohort of all persons with first-onset psychosis. We re-assessed these people at 3 years (n = 166) with several outcome scales, including HoNOS. Patients' keyworkers also completed the HoNOS. We estimated concurrent validity by calculating correlations between HoNOS and other scales, and interrater reliability.


RESULTS
Researcher HoNOS correlated highly with other scales (0.46 < p < 0.86; P < 0.001). Keyworker HoNOS correlations were lower (0.41 < p < 0.51; P < 0.05), but still significant for all scores except the HoNOS-social subscale (0.12 < p < 0.28). Agreements between researcher and keyworker HoNOS were modest (0.47 < ICC < 0.85).


CONCLUSIONS
In this research cohort HoNOS correlates well with established outcome scales. Keyworker ratings show similar, but weaker, relationships; its use in routine settings may require further training for calibration of severity.
Amin
S
S
Division of Psychiatry, University of Nottingham.
Singh
S P
SP
Croudace
T
T
Jones
P
P
Medley
I
I
Harrison
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity