The respiratory disease questionnaire: use of a self-administered version.

A re-designed and simplified respiratory disease questionnaire was self-completed by 245 coke oven workers who previously were interviewed using the Standardized Medical Research Council/National Heart and Lung Institute form. The self-completion survey yielded significantly greater numbers of positive responses to various questions; nearly twice as many men were classified as having chronic bronchitis based on responses to the self-administered questionnaire. The severity of symptoms correlated with various factors such as the worker's smoking history; family history of lung disease, and job history. We suggest that, when compared with an interview using the British Medical Research Council/National Heart and Lung Institute respiratory disease questionnaire, a simplified, self-completion form may serve as a less expensive, more sensitive, and equally uniform and selective epidemiological tool. Self-completion forms deserve the attention and study previously afforded the interview process.