Karnofsky Performance Status Assessment: resident versus attending.
BACKGROUND
Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) is a commonly used scale to assess a patient's functional status.


METHODS
Between September 1999 and March 2000, 117 patients were independently evaluated and assigned KPS scores by both an attending physician and a resident physician at the time of radiation therapy simulation.


RESULTS
Both attending and resident median assigned KPS score was 80. Attending and resident KPS scores were identical for 50 patients (43%). When KPS scores differed, this difference was of the smallest incremental value (10 points) in 50 patients (75%). The Pearson correlation coefficient is 0.85, significant at the 0.01 level.


CONCLUSIONS
KPS scoring by radiation oncology attending physicians is similar to that by resident physicians.
Liem
Benny J
BJ
Oregon Health and Science University, Department of Radiation Oncology, Portland, USA.
Holland
John M
JM
Kang
Matt Y
MY
Hoffelt
S Christopher
SC
Marquez
Carol M
CM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D008875:Middle Aged; D016544:Patient Simulation; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000193:education*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity