Reliability of ratings on the Glasgow Outcome Scales from in-person and telephone structured interviews.
OBJECTIVE
To determine test-retest reliability and interrater reliability for structured interviews for the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) using in-person and telephone contact.


METHODS
Study 1: Thirty head-injured patients were interviewed face-to-face and then reinterviewed by telephone a few days later by the same rater. Study 2: Fifty-six head-injured patients were interviewed by telephone and then face-to-face interviews were carried out by a different person up to 1 month later. Agreement between ratings on the GOS and the extended GOS (GOSE) in each of the studies was assessed using the kappa statistic weighted with quadratic weights.


RESULTS
Values of kappa(w) for the test-retest reliability study were.92 for both GOS and GOSE, and for interrater reliability study were.85 for the GOS and.84 for the GOSE.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings indicate good test-retest and interrater reliability for the structured interviews. In most circumstances a structured interview over the telephone can provide a reliable assessment of the GOS, and can safely be substituted for in person contact.
Pettigrew
Laura E L
LE
Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Wilson
J T Lindsay
JT
Teasdale
Graham M
GM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003625:Data Collection; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010358:Patient Participation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013689:Telephone; D006113:United Kingdom