END-POINTS IN SURGERY - ASSOCIATIONS BETW EEN OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE MEASURES

In evaluating therapy outcomes objective criteria are increasingly sup plemented by subjective parameters (i.e., patient self-reports), where by subjective somatic symptoms are of particular interest. Little is k nown about the associations between these types of variables. In two s tudies somatic symptoms (as assessed by a quality of life questionnair e filled out by the patient) were highly correlated with other subject ive psychological variables negative affect (r=0,75 und r=0,70), intro spection (r=0,71), social stigma (r=0,51), and less or not at all corr elated with objective clinical variables, such as standardized physici an ratings (r=0,31 and r=0,19) and weight gain. There are obviously no 1:1 relations between objective and subjective endpoints, and only th e meaningful combination of both allows for an encompassing evaluation of a patient's condition.