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A Comparison of Clinical and Photographic Methods of Observation

I. M. Smith, BDS, FRCS(Edin); J. A. M. Murray, MD, FRCS(Edin), FRACS; R. E. Cull, BSc, PhD, FRCP(Edin); J. Slattery, MSc

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1991;117(8):906-909.

Abstract
• The search for an internationally acceptable facial grading system has resulted in an assessment of existing methods by several investigators. These studies were based on observations of video film taken of patients with varying degrees of facial malfunction. Although the grading systems were evaluated, the use of videotape has never been compared with clinical examination and its suitability for this type of work is, therefore, unknown. We used nine facial grading systems to compare the results of clinical observation with those of photographic methods of presentation. The latter included videotape, photographic slides, and a combination of the two. The correlation between clinical examination findings and findings of any of the photographic methods was poor, suggesting the need for a standard form of presentation when grading patients. The most consistent results were found with either clinical examination or photographic slides; videotape was the least reliable.

(Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1991;117:906-909)

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Otolaryngology, Bristol (England) Royal Infirmary (Dr Smith), and the Departments of Otolaryngology (Dr Murray), Medical Neurology (Dr Cull), and Medical Computing and Statistics (Mr Slattery), The Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication February 6, 1991.

Reprint requests to the Department of Otolaryngology, The Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh EH3 9EN, Scotland (Dr Murray).

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