The Reliability of Auto-anamnesis

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Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to study the reliability of auto-anamnestic information. This was carried out on the one hand by checking low back auto-anamnesis against index data among low back sick-listed individuals, on the other hand by comparing the interviewed individuals' statements to two doctors with different personal and professional backgrounds. Among the low back sick-listed individuals almost all claimed to suffer anamnestic low back trouble. 25% of those with only one spell of low back sick-listing denied having been low back sick-listed. The agreement between the investigators was satisfactory regarding part of the information but very unsatisfactory regarding other parts, as for example the degree of “seriousness” of the back trouble. Among the individuals interviewed a correlation could be found between some personality-psychology variables and the reliability of anamnestic answers. The results show that in epidemiological investigations it is necessary to bear in mind that auto-anamnestic information is influenced by such sources of error as the special social norms and dispositions of the investigators as well as personality traits of the investigated individuals.

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