Validation of seven graded diary cards for severity of dyspeptic symptoms in patients with non ulcer dyspepsia.

The diary card as a measure of the severity of pain or discomfort in the stomach on a 7 graded scale was validated using data from a randomised placebo controlled clinical trial in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD). The diary card measure was compared to two other measures: a symptom question in a gastro-intestinal symptom questionnaire and a symptom severity rating made by the investigator based on an interview with the patient at the clinical visit. The reliability coefficient for the mean of the diary card scores from 7 consecutive days was estimated to 0.71. The mean of the scores from 7 consecutive days was approximately as sensitive to change as the other two measures.