Difference in opinion? mMRC scored by clinicians or patients.

<bold>Introduction</bold> The modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale is a guideline-recommended questionnaire for assessing the severity of activity-related breathlessness and is commonly used as an inclusion criterion or endpoint in clinical trials. However, it is a subjective measure and may vary depending on whether it is self-reported or assessed by a physician based on the patient’s anamnesis. This study evaluates the difference between clinician- and patient-rated mMRC scores. <bold>Methods</bold> A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that were eligible for pulmonary rehabilitation. Clinician-rated mMRC and patient self-reported mMRC were assessed at different time points, respectively at diagnostic intake and start of pulmonary rehabilitation Pulmonary function was measured at both assessment moments. <bold>Results</bold> mMRC was assessed in 272 stable patients with COPD (65.6 yr; 138 male). A significant higher score was found in self-reported compared to clinician-rated mMRC: 4.8(.53) vs 4.2(.70) p<0.001. 50.3% of the patients reported a higher mMRC score when self-reported compared to clinician rated. Time between assessments was 45(23) days. No differences in FEV1%pred 39(17) vs 39(16) and Tiffeneau-index 45(16) vs 46(15) were observed between these time points. <bold>Conclusion</bold> Differences between self-reported and clinician rated mMRC score suggest that the mode of administration of the questionnaire can influence the results. Further research is necessary to establish the origin of these differences. Clinicians should consider these variations when interpreting mMRC scores to ensure accurate evaluation and effective management of dyspnea in COPD.