1. ¹Lions Eye Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, WA, Australia
2. ²Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester, UK
3. ³Medical Statistics, University of Edinburgh, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, UK

Correspondence: N Patton, Lions Eye Institute, 2 Verdun Street, Nedlands, Western Australia, WA 6009, Australia. Tel: +44 61 8 63891216; Fax: +44 61 8 93463333; E-mail: niallpatton@hotmail.com

Abstract

Reliability of measurements and measurers is important so that we can trust the measurements we record. However, the statistical techniques used to assess reliability of measurements or measurers in the ophthalmic literature are often inappropriate, and not able to evaluate reliability between measurements/measurers. We review the techniques used in reliability studies for both continuous and categorical data, and describe appropriate statistical methods for particular study designs. We also highlight current techniques that are not appropriate in the analysis of reliability, but that are still commonly used in the ophthalmic literature. We hope that by highlighting these, we shall discourage their future use.