Can the Subjective Aspects of Health be Measured and Visually Displayed Without Harming Patient Experience? A Randomized Control Trial

In a randomized trial among people seeking musculoskeletal specialty care, 87 rated 9 items that quantify subjective health (discomfort, incapability, unhelpful thoughts, distress, and social health) with the results visually displayed (spider graph) to the patient and clinician. These 87 patients and 113 controls patients also completed brief measures of symptoms of anxiety and depression as part of the routine office intake that clinicians do not routinely review. In multivariable analysis, patient perceptions of physician empathy, level of involvement in decisions, and 6-week survey participation were not associated with measurement and display of symptom intensity and psychosocial factors. This suggests that brief measurement and visualization of the subjective aspects of health does not harm patient experience.