The Comorbidity Symptom Scale: a combined disease inventory and assessment of symptom severity.
OBJECTIVE
To develop and evaluate a scale to quantify the presence and severity of symptoms arising from comorbid diseases in older people.


METHODS
A validation cohort study of hospital inpatients and outpatients aged 65 years and older.


METHODS
A Hospital and community in Northeast England.


METHODS
Development of the Comorbidity Symptom Scale-Convenience sample of 50 hospital inpatients and outpatients aged 65 years and older. Evaluation of the Comorbidity Symptom Scale- Convenience sample of 183 patients aged 65 years and older either awaiting cataract surgery or attending a geriatric day hospital.


METHODS
For development of the Comorbidity Symptom Scale, 22 comorbid conditions were identified and incorporated into a questionnaire (the CmSS). Evaluation of the Comorbidity Symptom Scale-Assessments included the CmSS, activities of daily living, perceived health status, and anxiety and depression.


RESULTS
A 23-item scale was developed. Reliability of the CmSS was demonstrated by a test-retest correlation coefficient for the total instrument score of r = 0. 87 (P < .001). The CmSS scores correlated with assessments of activities of daily living, perceived health status, and anxiety and depression.


CONCLUSIONS
The CmSS is a simple interviewer-administered tool for use in older people and provides an objective measure of the presence of comorbid disease and the patient's perception of severity of associated symptoms.
Crabtree
H L
HL
Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Newcastle, Sunderland Royal Hospital, UK.
Gray
C S
CS
Hildreth
A J
AJ
O'Connell
J E
JE
Brown
J
J
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*