Objective assessment of WHO/ECOG performance status
Abstract
Purpose
Performance status is an important factor in determining quality of life, the choice of treatment, and prognostic tool in patients. All scoring systems currently in use measure the patient’s performance subjectively. A new method of objective assessment of performance ECOG/WHO grades 2 and 3 was constructed and tested.
Methods
A performance meter—an adapted USB data logger with a mercury tilt switch—was constructed. The device was tested in a feasibility study on 33 residents of a retirement home. Parallel to the objective assessment, each resident gave their own estimate of their performance, and each resident was in turn assessed by the nursing staff.
Results
With the performance meter, 4 residents (12%) were assessed as PS ≥ 3 in comparison with 8 (24%) and 7 (21%) residents with an ECOG score ≥ 3 estimated by patients themselves and nursing staff respectively.
Conclusion
Subjective scoring—estimated by patients themselves and by nursing staff—showed underestimation of patients’ performance. In 12% of patients, a better performance score was observed with objective measurement in comparison with subjective assessment. Performance meter could be a useful tool for health care professionals for type of care decisions.
Keywords
Performance status ECOG score Objective score Performance meterNotes
Acknowledgments
Residents and staff of DUC Tabor-Ljubljana, Ulica Janeza Pavla II/4, Ljubljana Retirement Home, its Manager Mrs. Silva Kučan, Head Nurse Mrs. Radmila Radanović, and Mr. Iztok Zupančič, Engineer.
Compliance with ethical standards
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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