M. Soler et al., Medical conditions in patients with pancreatic and biliary diseases - Validity and agreement between data from questionnaires and medical records, DIG DIS SCI, 44(12), 1999, pp. 2469-2477
The aims of the study were to assess the agreement between data from person
al interviews and medical records on selected medical conditions, to evalua
te the validity of each source of information, and to estimate the prevalen
ce of these conditions in pancreatobiliary pathology. Between 1992 and 1995
, 602 patients with pancreatobiliary diseases were included in the PANKRAS
II Study. Information from interview and medical records was available in 8
8% of cases. The agreement between both data sources was poor only for chol
ecystitis and mental disorders. The validity of both sources of information
was high or acceptable for all conditions except for cholecystitis. Preval
ence of past medical conditions was similar to that reported previously and
varied according to diagnosis, gender, age, educational level, and hospita
l of admission. Research aimed at assessing the prevalence of less common d
iseases should consider subject- and health-related factors in collecting i
nformation.