How do I set up scoring in my own Outcome Measures?

If you have created your own Outcome measure, it is possible to set it up so that you can:

• bulk-set the score for multiple choice questions, 
• group question scores together for sub-scores,
• or select the score for each answer in each question.

Bulk-set scores for multiple choice

Chose whether the questions will score low to high or high to low, and whether they will be scored numerically or as a percentage. 

For multiple choice question, chose the increments by which you would like all these answers to increase or decrease. Click " Save". You will be able to view these changes in the "Question scoring" tab.

Group question scores

You may wish to create sub-scores from your questionnaire from the grouping of certain questions. Simply go into " Question grouping" and click "Add question group". 

This allows you to give the sub-group a title, and select the questions whose scores will be combined in this sub-category.

Bespoke the scores for each answer

Perhaps you do not wish for all of your answers to be scored the same. Using the " Question scoring" tab allows you to bespoke the scoring for each of your questions.

Questions scored as a range are fixed, but those using multiple choice can be changed. Click " Save" to remember these changes.

Adding your own scoring rules

For a selected outcome measure, on the Settings > Outcome measure scoring page, you can choose to "Override default scoring" and enter your own scoring formula. (This may be required for some outcome measures that don't simply base their scoring on the sum of all the values of the selected options).

To add your own scoring rules:

• Go to Settings > Outcome measure scoring 
• Check the "Override default scoring" checkbox
• Enter the scoring formula that you would like to use (see syntax below)
• Hit Save

Note that you can also override the default scoring on a Question Group level.

If your outcome measure has one or more question groups:

• Go to Settings > Question Grouping
• Click the group name
• Check the "Override default scoring" checkbox
• Enter the scoring formula that you would like to use (see syntax below)
• Hit Save

Question scoring formula syntax

• Each question's selected value is represented by a variable qn, where n is the number of the question.
  For example, to get the value that the patient selected for question 1, you would use q1.
• You can use basic arithmetic operators (add, subtract, divide, multiply) and set operator precedence using parentheses.
• The result of your custom scoring will always be rounded to the nearest integer (whole number).
• All questions for the outcome measure (or, if you are setting rules for a question group, the questions in the question group) need to be included in your formula.
  If you want to run a calculation for only a subset of questions, then create a question group.

Examples

• If the scoring formula for an outcome measure that has 4 questions is to add up all answers and then subtract 5, this is written out as:
  q1+q2+q3+q4-5
• To get the average score of an outcome measure that has 4 questions, use:
  (q1+q2+q3+q4)/4