The reliability and validity of a structured interview for the assessment of infectious illness symptoms

Abstract

Respiratory infections are the leading cause of morbidity in community populations. We developed a structured interview based on the Health Review (Rose et al., Psychosom. Med. 40: 142-165, 1978) to provide a simple method for periodic assessment of infectious illness, particularly upper respiratory infections. Congruence between interview data and physician diagnoses demonstrated excellent agreement regarding the presence or absence of an infection. Subjects who showed a clinically significant increase in antibody titers to an influenza virus vaccine reported fewer than half as many respiratory infections in the subsequent year as subjects who did not show a significant response. Interrater and test-retest reliabilities were satisfactory. These data support the reliability and validity of this method of assessing infectious illnesses.

Chronic stress modulates the virus-specific immune response to latent herpes simplex virus Type 1

“…We used a modified version (27) of the Health Review (28) to collect data on cold sores. Subjects were given the interview in person during the annual interview, then called every three months.…”

“…Subjects were given the interview in person during the annual interview, then called every three months. During Health Review interviews, we used a number of methods to ensure the most accurate and complete recall as described elsewhere (27).…”

Self-Reported Influenza-Like Illness and Receipt of Influenza Antiviral Drugs During the 2009 Pandemic, United States, 2009–2010

“…However, self-report of infectious illness, including respiratory illness, has shown high congruence with physician documentation in the medical record during patient interviews conducted as many as 3 months after a health care visit. 19 Nonetheless, people with severe symptoms or those who sought care for their illness may have been more likely to remember and report an episode of ILI than were those with milder illness; therefore, the prevalence of ILI among those who did not seek medical care may have been underestimated. Second, because we did not include standard criteria to diagnose influenza or include a diagnostic testing component, reported ILI and recalling a clinical diagnosis of influenza cannot be interpreted to represent laboratory-confirmed influenza activity in the population.…”

Effects of cognitive behavioral treatment on physical health status in patients with panic disorder

“…Because self-report methods focusing on specific, welloperationalized symptoms show better agreement with physician diagnoses (Orts et al, 1995), patients are given explicit instructions to only endorse specific physical health symptoms arising from medical conditions and to exclude symptoms resulting from their anxiety condition. The PHRF covers a number of related domains, including: (a) disability related to physical illness, (b) frequency of physical health symptoms, and (c) perceived physical health status.…”