Diabetics' Self-Report of Medical Utilization: A Test of Validity

Abstract

This report details a test of the validity of long-term estimates of medical utilization rate among a chronically ill population. The relationship between diabetics' reported frequencies of ambulatory visits to the Diabetes Center over an 18-mo. period and clinic recorded data were evaluated. A high, positive, and significant correlation was observed, providing support for the validity of self-reports. An unexpected finding was that 60% of the subjects over-estimated frequency of clinic visits. The need for empirical assessment of this commonly used measure is discussed.