A computerized psychiatric diagnostic system and case nomenclature for elderly subjects: GMS and AGECAT

Synopsis The Geriatric Mental State and a new computerized diagnostic system, AGECAT, are briefly described. A nomenclature for designating cases for epidemiological work is introduced. Concordance between AGECAT and psychiatrists' diagnoses for these studies, hospital and community based (total of 541 subjects), achieved overall kappa values of 0·84 for a psychiatric hospital sample and 0·74 for a community sample. The values for depression and organic illness specifically in these settings were psychiatric hospital 0·80/0·86, and community 0·80/0·88, respectively.