Dartmouth COOP Charts

The Dartmouth COOP Charts measure how a person is functioning across the parts of health that matter in daily life. Each chart is a single question with five illustrated answers, and the person circles the picture that fits them best. The drawings are what make the charts unusual — they were designed so someone can answer quickly without reading much.

Nine charts cover physical fitness, feelings, daily activities, social activities, pain, social support, overall health, quality of life, and change in health. Each is scored 1 to 5, with higher meaning worse function, and each chart stands on its own rather than summing to a total. Responses refer to the past two or four weeks depending on the version used.

Licensing Notes: Copyright is held by the Trustees of Dartmouth College, COOP Project. Published reproductions carry a "used with permission" line, indicating permission is granted on request.

Learn More: Two versions circulate and they differ. The original Dartmouth COOP charts and COOP/WONCA charts (adapted for international primary care use). Note also that research has found the illustrations do not actually change scores — mean scores and correlations were essentially identical with and without pictures in a low-functioning elderly sample. The pictures help with acceptability rather than accuracy.