Premium
An Evaluation of a Brief Health Status Measure in Elderly Veterans
Author(s) -
Weinberger Morris,
Samsa Gregory P.,
Hanlon Joseph T.,
Schmader Kenneth,
Doyle Marti E.,
Cowper Patricia A.,
Uttech Kay M.,
Cohen Harvey J.,
Feussner John R.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1991.tb03623.x
Subject(s) - medicine , geriatrics , gerontology , physical therapy , family medicine , psychiatry
Objective: To examine the feasibility of a brief 36–item health status measure in elderly male veterans, by comparing it with the 136–item Sickness Impact Profile. Design: Cross‐sectional study in which all subjects completed both measures in a random order. Setting: Durham VAMC General Medicine and Geriatrics Clinics. Patients: Convenience sample of 25 male veterans aged 65 and older (mean age = 73.5 years; 68% white; 68% currently married; mean annual income = $7,000). Main Outcome Measures: Two well‐validated health status measures, the Sickness Impact Profile and the SF‐36. Results: The SF‐36 took less time to administer than the Sickness Impact Profile in both the Geriatrics Clinic (mean: 15 vs 33 minutes) and General Medicine Clinic (mean: 14 vs 21 minutes). Although SIP scores consistently displayed a more optimistic picture of respondents' health compared with the SF‐36, the two instruments were highly correlated: overall functioning (r = 0.73), physical functioning (r = 0.78), and social functioning (r = 0.67). Conclusions: These two measures provide a similar ranking of elderly male veterans' health status. The significantly shorter administration time of the SF‐36 is an attractive feature for both researchers and clinicians interested in assessing health status.