An evaluation of the effectiveness of a videotape programme on interobserver reliability in outcome assessment for fibromyalgia.

AIMS

A study was designed to assess the effects of a standardized instructional videotape on training senior medical students to acceptable levels of reliability in performing several commonly used observer dependent outcome measures in patients with fibromyalgia (FM).

METHODS

During a single day, six third-year medical students independently examined six patients with FM in predetermined order using a Latin Square design, before and after viewing a standardized videotape which demonstrated methods for performing doiorimelry and for delecting skinfold tenderness and reactive hyperaemia. Reliability coefficients were calculated based on the variance components of the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) table.

RESULTS

Prestandardization reliability coefficients were <0.80 for 8 measures. Following standardization all reliability coefficients, but one, approximated or exceeded 0.80.

CONCLUSIONS

An important and beneficial effect of the standardization procedure was noted for several outcome variables. Such improvements in observer agreement have important implications for training senior medical students to perform quantitative measurement in the longitudinal management of FM patients in clinical practice. The use of a videotape to achieve this goal has obvious cost and convenience advantages compared with personal onc-on-one or small group training procedures.