A self administered reliable questionnaire to assess lower bowel symptoms.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bowel symptoms are considered indicators of the presence of colorectal cancer and other bowel diseases. Self administered questionnaires that elicit information about lower bowel symptoms have not been assessed for reliability, although this has been done for upper bowel symptoms. Our aim was to develop a self administered questionnaire for eliciting the presence, nature and severity of lower bowel symptoms potentially related to colorectal cancer, and assess its reliability.

Methods

Immediately before consulting a gastroenterologist or colorectal surgeon, 263 patients likely to have a colonoscopy completed the questionnaire. Reliability was assessed in two ways: by assessing agreement between patient responses and (a) responses given by the doctor at the consulta

SUBMITTER: Adelstein BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2311315 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature