TY - JOUR
T1 - The evaluation of diagnostic concordance in follow-up studies
T2 - I. A general model of causal analysis and a methodological critique
AU - Cloninger, C. Robert
AU - Miller, J. Philip
AU - Wette, Reimut
AU - Martin, Ronald L.
AU - Guze, Samuel B.
N1 - Funding Information:
*Supported in part by USPHS Grants: AA-00209, AA-03539, and Research Scientist Development Award MH-00048 (C.R.C.).
PY - 1979
Y1 - 1979
N2 - An improved method for the design and evaluation of follow-up studies of psychiatric disorders is presented. Available indices of diagnostic consistency are reviewed and their limitations discussed. A general causal model of diagnostic concordance for reliability and follow-up studies is described. This model describes the relationship of diagnosis to true clinical status, interview procedures, the consistency of the historian, typicality of the clinical features, and temporal influences. Using the method of path analysis, estimates of the influences of these variables are derived under a wide range of experimental conditions. The method has implications for classification systems, strategies of research design, and the integration of reliability and follow-up studies. Its advantages include distinguishing the effects of the multiple causes of concordance and discordance and facilitating quantitative comparisons between different groups and different experimental designs.
AB - An improved method for the design and evaluation of follow-up studies of psychiatric disorders is presented. Available indices of diagnostic consistency are reviewed and their limitations discussed. A general causal model of diagnostic concordance for reliability and follow-up studies is described. This model describes the relationship of diagnosis to true clinical status, interview procedures, the consistency of the historian, typicality of the clinical features, and temporal influences. Using the method of path analysis, estimates of the influences of these variables are derived under a wide range of experimental conditions. The method has implications for classification systems, strategies of research design, and the integration of reliability and follow-up studies. Its advantages include distinguishing the effects of the multiple causes of concordance and discordance and facilitating quantitative comparisons between different groups and different experimental designs.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0018726068&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0022-3956(79)90021-9
DO - 10.1016/0022-3956(79)90021-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 490429
AN - SCOPUS:0018726068
VL - 15
SP - 85
EP - 106
JO - Journal of Psychiatric Research
JF - Journal of Psychiatric Research
SN - 0022-3956
IS - 2
ER -