Referral information quality assessed by VAS and TPS, and correlation between them
| Indication | N referral letters (%) | Mean TPS (95% CI) | Mean VAS (95% CI) | Correlation coefficient* (95% CI) | ICC† average measures (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdominal pain | 50 (15.3) | 12.5 (11.0 to 14.1) | 4.5 (3.9 to 5.2) | 0.46 | 0.49 (0.09 to 0.71) |
| Dyspepsia | 47 (14.4) | 11.9 (10.6 to 13.1) | 4.3 (3.7 to 4.9) | 0.25 | 0.33 (−0.02 to 0.63) |
| Gastrointestinal bleeding | 34 (10.4) | 15.7 (14.1 to 17.3) | 5.1 (4.4 to 5.9) | 0.46 | 0.51 (0.03 to 076) |
| Change of bowel habit | 48 (14.7) | 14.9 (13.5 to 16.3) | 5.1 (4.3 to 5.8) | 0.60 | 0.66 (0.40 to 0.81) |
| Diarrhoea | 38 (11.6) | 11.3 (9.9 to 12.7) | 4.6 (4.0 to 5.2) | 0.37 | 0.42 (−0.11 to 0.70) |
| Dysphagia | 36 (11.0) | 11.9 (10.3 to 13.5) | 5.0 (4.3 to 5.8) | 0.29 | 0.37 (−0.24 to 0.68) |
| Constipation | 27 (8.3) | 13.5 (12.1 to 14.9) | 4.5 (3.8 to 5.1) | 0.24 | 0.30 (−0,55 to 0.68) |
| Weight loss | 21 (6.4) | 14.9 (12.5 to 17.2) | 4.8 (3.9 to 5.8) | 0.63 | 0.62 (0.06 to 0.85) |
| Jaundice | 26 (8.0) | 14.3 (12.4 to 16.2) | 4.9 (3.9 to 5.8) | 0.24 | 0.32 (−0.52 to 0.70) |
| Total | 327 | 13.2 (12.8 to 13.8) | 4.7 (4.5 to 5.0) | 0.42 | 0.47 (0.34 to 0.57) |
*Pearson correlation coefficient interpretation: 0–0.2=slight, 0.2–0.4=fair, 0.4–0.6=moderate, 0.6–0.80=substantial, 0.8–1.0=almost perfect.
†ICC interpretation: >0.75=excellent, 0.40–0.75=fair to good and <0.40=poor.
ICC, intraclass correlation coefficient; TPS, Thirty Point Score; VAS, visual analogue scale.