Repeated teaching courses of the modified Rodnan skin score in systemic sclerosis

CER729
2010 Vol.28, N°2 ,Suppl.58
PI 0037, PF 0041
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PMID: 20576212 [PubMed]

Received: 20/11/2009
Accepted : 23/04/2010
In Press: 10/06/2010
Published: 10/06/2010

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the efficacy of a repeated teaching process of the modified Rodnan skin score (MRSS) in systemic sclerosis (SSc). The question is whether a repeated teaching course is required to maintain good results after a first, successful teaching process.
METHODS:
Two consecutive teaching courses were organised by two Romanian EUSTAR centres for the same rheumatologists, to evaluate and compare the inter-observer variability. Coefficients of variation, the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) and the within patient standard deviations were calculated.
RESULTS:
The ICC showed good agreement between 12 participants of both the first teaching course (0.639) and of the course seven months later (0.684).
CONCLUSIONS:
For rheumatologists, a good ICC that is close to 0.7 can be achieved, and these results remain stable without the need for another, repeated teaching cycle. The high inter-rater variations seen in some patients demand that, in clinical studies, the same investigator should assess the same patient at each visit.