Abstract

Objective

To explore the degree of agreement between patient- and clinician-reported outcomes (PROs and CROs, respectively) in three chronic diseases.

Methods

Respectively, 120, 131, and 61 French general practitioners (GPs) included 291, 307, and 90 patients with chronic venous disease (CVD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD), in a cross-sectional survey. Patients completed a specific Health-Related Quality of Life (QoL) questionnaire (Chronic Venous Insufficiency Questionnaire [CIVIQ], Functional Digestive Disorders Quality of Life [FDDQL], and Claudication Scale [CLAU-S], respectively) and scored their pain (visual analog scale, pain-free walking distance). GPs were concomitantly asked to estimate patients' pain and QoL.

Results

Although correlated (CVD and IBS: Kw = 0.27 and Kw = 0.31, respectively; PAOD: r = 0.64, P 0.01). Global QoL scores estimated by patients and GPs were moderately correlated (Kw between 0.17 and 0.28). GPs underestimated QoL impairment in CVD (global score: 72 ± 19 vs. 61 ± 20) and in most dimensions of the IBS questionnaire (in six of eight dimensions), and overestimated QoL impairment in PAOD (54 ± 21 vs. 66 ± 23).

Conclusions

Although correlated, PROs and CROs differed. In addition, their relationship was not consistent across diseases. PROs are therefore essential to take account of all the aspects of diseases.