A comparison of three health status measures in primary care outpatients

Our objective was to compare a brief, relatively new global health status m easure, the Health Utilities Index Mark II (HUI), to two commonly applied h ealth status measures (Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Sur vey [SF-36] and the Sickness Impact Profile [SIP] in a general medical outp atient population. Using a cross-sectional survey, we surveyed 160 patients in the General Medical Clinic of the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Cente r. Each subject answered demographic questions and then completed the three health status measures. The mean time taken to complete the measures was 3 , 10, and 20 minutes for the HUI, SF-36, and SIP, respectively (p < .0001). The HUI exhibited a modest "floor" effect; that is, scores were concentrat ed near the sicker of the scale. In contrast, responses to the SIP were hea vily concentrated near the healthier end of the scale. Spearman correlation coefficients between the HUI and scales within the other two measures rang ed from .54 (SF-36 mental health) to 0.69 (SF-36 physical functioning). Sub jects accepted all measures well. These three health service measures vente d in their distribution of responses and time required to complete. Users s hould consider the degree of sickness of the population to be assessed when choosing a measure.