title: Telephone Out Patient Score: The Derivation and Validation of a Telephone Follow-up Assessment Tool for Use in Clinical Research in Children With Croup.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to derive a simple clinical scoring instrument for assessing children with croup by telephone for use in clinical research studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed published literature on croup scores, surveyed experienced pediatric emergency nurses and physicians, and conducted a prospective cohort study. Score items were derived from published literature and surveys of experienced clinicians. We enrolled children with croup attending an urban pediatric emergency department. Families of children enrolled were contacted daily by telephone and asked standardized questions about their child's clinical symptoms and family functioning. Data from this survey were used to derive the clinical score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 11 unique croup scores from the literature and interviewed 6 experienced clinicians. We enrolled 330 children and achieved complete follow-up for 301. Of the various groupings of items and duration of assessment, the 2-item score (barky cough and stridor) was the simplest and most reliable. Three days of follow-up yielded optimal correlations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We derived a 2-item Telephone Out Patient score assessed daily for 3 days after an emergency department visit. Validation of this score in a future, independent prospective cohort is needed.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Pediatrics, †Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, ‡Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Candice L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Bjornson
authors.forename: Janielee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003440:Croup / Q000628:therapy*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D010045:Outpatients; D000070316:Pediatric Emergency Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013689:Telephone