ArticleBJGP open2023
Emoqol-100: Development and validation of a single question for low mood in primary care. A retrospective audit.
Article in BJGP open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Uncertain Pretest Probabilities in Diagnostic Reasoning: The Prevalence Threshold as a Tipping Point.Journal of evaluation in clinical practice · 2026Article
- Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPatients with depression need to be diagnosed and managed effectively in primary care. However, current inventories for case-finding low mood are time-consuming when considering the limited time available during appointments.
aimTo validate the diagnostic accuracy of a single question on the emotional quality of life (Emoqol-100) as a measure of depression in symptomatic patients. DESIGN &
settingA retrospective clinical audit, validating the Emoqol-100 compared with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Burns Depression Scale Today (BDST) in South Auckland, New Zealand.
methodConsecutive patients with suspected low mood, seen over 22 months in a single primary care clinic by one of the authors, were eligible for this retrospective audit (
resultsThe Emoqol-100 range 0-20 had a likelihood ratio (LR) of 25.2 for low mood compared with the BDST as the reference standard; and for Emoqol-100 scores of 21-40, 41-60, 61-80, and 81-100 the LRs were 3.6, 1.7, 0.35, and 0.09, respectively. For the PHQ-9, these were 10.1, 2.9, 1.3, 0.40, and 0.2, respectively. Any score ≤60 was associated with a low mood.
conclusionThe Emoqol-100 appears to have high validity, so when it is low (≤60), it is suggestive of a high PHQ-9 or BDST score, and a mood issue probably exists. Emoqol-100 could be helpful for busy primary care professionals and other clinicians.
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