Measuring Patient Anxiety In Primary Care

Accurate measurements of patient outcomes are essential in health care when assessing the effectiveness of treatments and interventions. This study evaluates the ability of a commonly used patient questionnaire to measure patient anxiety.

Researchers led by Dr. Helen Court, a lecturer based at Cardiff University, UK, sought to evaluate the measurement properties of the 6-item State-Trait anxiety scale (STAI) and develop a means for researchers and practitioners to convert raw questionnaire scores into a more meaningful measure of patient anxiety.

Statistical analysis of questionnaire responses from 297 primary care patients showed that the scale performs well as a measure of patient anxiety. A conversion table has also been generated to allow conversion of raw anxiety scores into a more interpretable anxiety measurement.

According to Dr. Court "this analysis supports the use of the 6-item STAI within primary health care as a credible measure of patient anxiety".

This study will be discussed in a future issue of Value in Health, the official journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research.Value in Health (ISSN 1098-3015) publishes papers, concepts, and ideas that advance the field of pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research and help health care leaders to make decisions that are solidly evidence-based.

The journal is published bi-monthly and has a regular readership of over 5,000 clinicians, decision-makers, and researchers worldwide.