INTERVIEW SURVEYS OF HANDICAPPED PEOPLE: THE ACCURACY OF STATEMENTS ABOUT THE UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Abstract

The opportunity was taken during an interview survey of impaired people, based on a group general-medical practice, to check the impaired person‘s statement about the nature of the underlying medical condition against the general practitioner’s assessment based on his notes and recollections. It was possible to check 311 statements, and 294(94%) were corroborated by the general practitioner. Specific diagnoses were established for 191 cases, of which 154 had been given accurately by the impaired people. There was a marked lack of specific diagnoses in three groups of disorders, the deaf and hard of hearing, the blind and partially sighted, and musculoskeletal disorders. The findings are in agreement with previous studies and whilst they may not be surprising, they are reassuring in view of the large number of interview surveys of impaired and handicapped people that have been and are being carried out.