Objective To estimate the consistency of clinical cross-sectional information collection form about TCM symptoms of chronic cardiac failure.Methods Six Grade-III Class-A hospitals were beforehand investigated in this study.First of all

two qualified doctors of each hospital were chosen to accomplish the information collection form for the same patient at the same time.Then

correlation between two scorings of the same symptom given by different doctors were analyzed with Spearman correlation coefficient.Results The correlated coefficient of 83.33% of TCM symptoms exceeded 0.8.Those of more than 80% of TCM symptoms in five hospitals exceeded 0.8（two-sided test

P<0.01）.The correlated coefficients of indifference

panic

bitter taste in mouth

pall complexion

sallow complexion

and nail cyanosis in four hospitals or above were lower than 0.8.Those of pleural fluid

cough

dry cough or very little expectoration

expectoration

cheek flush

dim complexion

chest pain

dyspnea

and feverish sensation in chest

palms and soles were 1 or about.Thus

the correlated coefficients of most symptoms in the form were qualified.Conclusion The clinical cross-sectional information collection form about TCM symptoms of chronic cardiac failure can be evaluated by reliability method and used to do cross-sectional study of symptoms.