Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society
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Comparative Study
Proxy reports in Parkinson's disease: caregiver and patient self-reports of quality of life and physical activity.
We evaluated patient-proxy agreement in a population of veterans with Parkinson's disease and compared levels of agreement by patient subgroups. Patient and caregiver pairs completed questionnaires composed of standard measures and additional demographic and activity questions. Participants completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the PD Questionnaire 39 (PDQ-39), and three questions regarding physical activity. ⋯ Proxy reports may diverge appreciably from patient self-reports. These differences should be considered in research design and clinical decision making. Alternative approaches to the measurement of patient relevant outcomes could supplement traditional, retrospective self-reports.