clinicianrated

Clinician-rated refers to assessments of a patient’s condition that are completed by a trained health professional rather than by the patient themselves. These measures rely on clinical judgment, direct observation, structured interviews, and review of medical records to rate the severity, frequency, or change of symptoms or functioning. The term is often used interchangeably with observer-rated or physician-rated measures, and it emphasizes the role of the clinician in scoring rather than self-report.

Common examples appear across medical fields. In psychiatry, clinician-rated scales include the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale, and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). In neurology and oncology, clinician-rated tools such as the Karnofsky Performance Status or ECOG Performance Status, and the Disability Assessment or similar scales, are frequently used. Dermatology and rheumatology may employ physician global assessment scales. These instruments typically address observable signs, symptom severity, functioning, or overall improvement.

Compared with patient-reported outcomes, clinician-rated measures can provide standardized assessments when patients have limited insight, cognitive impairment, or communication barriers. They may also capture objective signs not fully perceived by patients. However, they are susceptible to inter-rater variability and bias, and their accuracy depends on appropriate training and standardized protocols. Clinician-rated measures are commonly used in clinical trials and practice to complement patient-reported data, contributing to a more comprehensive appraisal of health status and treatment effects.