International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol 28, 409-417, Copyright © 1999 by International Epidemiological Association
K Zhu, B McKnight, A Stergachis, JR Daling and RS Levine
BACKGROUND: Self-report and review of medical records are the most common
methods for the assessment of past exposures. However, information obtained
from self-reports and medical records may not be consistent. This study
compared information provided in a self- administered questionnaire with
medical records data. METHODS: Self- report and medical records data came
from a case-control study on prostate cancer. Cases were 181 patients with
primary prostate cancer and controls were 297 men without the disease,
enrolled in Group Health Cooperative (GHC) in Seattle. The consistencies
between the two data sources were examined. RESULTS: In general, agreement
between the two data sources was almost perfect for demographic and
anthropometric variables, substantial for the history of inguinal hernia
and kidney stones, and moderate for vasectomy, family history of prostate
cancer, smoking and alcohol consumption. However, the two data sources
generally were poorly concordant for prior genitourinary diseases that have
less explicit diagnostic criteria such as benign prostatic hyperplasia and
prostatitis. Analyses of discordant data showed that men were more likely
to report an exposure or medical condition that could not be verified from
medical records. No discernible patterns in the difference of agreement
were found according to age, GHC membership length or case-control status.
CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that agreement between self-reported data
and medical records data varies depending upon the study variables. While
both data sources are subject to some problems, self-report may provide
more complete and comparable information, at least for variables unrelated
to diagnosis.
ARTICLES
Comparison of self-report data and medical records data: results from a case-control study on prostate cancer
Department of Occupational and Preventive Medicine, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
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