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At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

[Patient-rated wrist questionnaire: preliminary report on a proposed French version of a North American questionnaire designed to assess wrist pain and function].

We present a French translation of a North American self-assessment questionnaire (Patient Rated Wrist Questionnaire or PRWE). This questionnaire was developed by Joy MacDermid and members of the IWI (International Wrist Investigators). Three years were needed to establish the specific items and questions to get a valid and reliable questionnaire. It includes 5 questions on pain and 10 questions on function. All the questions were rated on a 0-10 scale. The questionnaire provides several scoring options with a total of 100. MacDermid assessed the responsiveness of three questionnaires (DASH, SF-36 and PRWE) in 59 patients after distal radius fractures. Standardised response means (SRM) were calculated to indicate responsiveness. The PRWE was the most responsive. The French version was evaluated on 20 patients. All the questions were understood. The mean writing time was 5 minutes (3 min - 7 min).

Adult↗
PubMed2005

A hybrid qualitative method for pretesting questionnaires: the example of a questionnaire to caregivers of Alzheimer disease patients.

A hybrid method based on cognitive interviewing and consensus panels was developed to pretest a questionnaire for caregivers of persons with Alzheimer disease (AD). The objective of the questionnaire was to elicit caregivers' attitudes and opinions on the use of medications to treat the disease. Thirty-one caregivers were divided into five pretest groups, within which each participant was asked to comment on questionnaire wording and design. The comments from participants in the first three groups were used to revise the questionnaire, and the revised version was given to participants in the remaining two groups. Overall, 81% (118/146) of the participants' comments were implemented. The number of comments made in the last two groups decreased relative to the number of comments made in the first three groups. The hybrid method enhanced the user-friendliness of the questionnaire and can serve as an alternative to common ad hoc pretest approaches that have little basis in theory.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

MIDAS questionnaire modification for a new MIDAS junior questionnaire: a clinical experience at the Neurological Institute "C. Besta".

During the last decade researchers have begun to employ standardised methodologies to investigate the global impact of primary headaches. Disease-specific instruments have been developed to measure headache-related disability. The MIDAS questionnaire, which is the most extensively studied of these instruments, was designed to assess the overall impact of headaches over the 3 months before compilation. The MIDAS questionnaire is an optimal tool to assess headache-related disability in adults in relation to patients' daily activities. Primary headaches are a recurrent problem for children and adolescents. Forty percent of children have experienced headaches by the age of 7 years increasing to 75% by the age of 15. In a recent report we determined the suitability of the MIDAS questionnaire in its original form for assessing disability in children and adolescents suffering from different kinds of headache. This was the first step of a line of research aimed to develop a new MIDAS questionnaire adapted for young patients. In this second study the aims were: (1) to produce a new version of the MIDAS questionnaire specific for young patients suffering from different forms of headache; (2) to assess the reliability of this new instrument; (3) to assess its sensitivity to treatment intervention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

[Validation of the Spanish version of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form. A questionnaire for assessing the urinary incontinence].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: A big proportion (40-70%) of patients with urinary incontinence (UI) do not ask for medical advice. Self-administered questionnaires may help in detecting UI. The objective of the present study was to validate the Spanish version of the questionnaire ICIQ-SF. PATIENTS AND METHOD: 500 women who consulted at a UI-specialized unit responded to the questionnaire. A urodynamic study was carried out and sociodemographic and clinical data were collected. Feasibility, validity and reliability were assessed. Sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp) and positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values of the clinical and urodynamic study were also calculated. RESULTS: The mean time of administration was 3.5 (1.5) minutes. All patients answered all the items of the ICIQ-SF. According to the clinical diagnosis, patients with UI scored 11.6 (5.9) and patients without UI scored 4.5 (6.3) (p < 0.001). According to the urodynamic diagnosis, UI patients scored 11.1 (6.3) vs 6.2 (6.5) (p < 0.001). In patients with an urodynamic diagnosis of stress UI, a higher severity degree was associated with a higher score on the ICIQ-SF. The values of Se, Sp, PPV and NPV were 92.1%, 55.6%, 88.3% and 65.9%, respectively, regarding clinical diagnosis, and 87.7%, 40.8%, 85.1% and 46.2%, respectively, regarding the urodynamic study. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first questionnaire designed for diagnosing UI validated in Spain. The psychometric properties of the ICIQ-SF are satisfactory and allow to recommend the use of the questionnaire in the clinical practice.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed1997

The development of the 'Quality-of-life for Respiratory Illness Questionnaire (QOL-RIQ)': a disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaire for patients with mild to moderate chronic non-specific lung disease.

Chronic non-specific lung disease (CNSLD) encompasses asthma as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Recently in health care, there has been increasing awareness in the functional, psychological and social aspects of the health of patients; their quality of life (QOL). Quality-of-life research addressing CNSLD patients has been rather underdeveloped for a long period of time. Recently, however, the importance of QOL is being increasingly recognized, and several research groups have started to study QOL in CNSLD patients in more detail. This paper describes the construction of a disease-specific QOL instrument for patients with mild to moderately severe CNSLD. Items relating to several domains of QOL were listed, and 171 CNSLD patients in general practice were asked how much of a problem each item had been (assessed on a seven-point Likert scale). After applying an item-selection procedure, a uni-dimensional QOL questionnaire was constructed consisting of 55 items divided into seven domain subscales: breathing problems, physical problems, emotions, situations triggering or enhancing breathing problems, general activities, daily and domestic activities, and social activities, relationships and sexuality. Reliability estimates of the domain subscales of the constructed questionnaire varied from 0.68 to 0.89, and was 0.92 for the QOL for Respiratory Illness Questionnaire (QOL-RIQ) total scale. A first impression of the construct validity of the questionnaire was gained by investigation of the relationship between the QOL domain subscales and several indicators of illness severity, as well as the relative contribution of illness severity variables, background characteristics and symptoms to QOL, using regression analysis. Further research to validate the questionnaire to a greater extent (construct validity, test-retest reliability and responsiveness to change) is currently taking place.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

A modified Inflammatory Bowel Disease questionnaire and the Vaizey Incontinence questionnaire are simple ways to identify patients with significant gastrointestinal symptoms after pelvic radiotherapy.

After radiotherapy for pelvic cancer, chronic gastrointestinal problems may affect quality of life (QOL) in 6-78% of patients. This variation may be due to true differences in outcome in different diseases, and may also represent the inadequacy of the scales used to measure radiotherapy-induced gastrointestinal side effects. The aim of this study was to assess whether outcome measures used for nonmalignant gastrointestinal disease are useful to detect gastrointestinal morbidity after radiotherapy. Results obtained from a Vaizey Incontinence questionnaire and a modified Inflammatory Bowel Disease questionnaire (IBDQ)--both patient completed--were compared to those from a staff administered Late Effects on Normal Tissue (LENT)--Subjective, Objective, Management and Analytic (SOMA) questionnaire in patients who had completed radiotherapy for a pelvic tumour at least 3 months previously. In all, 142 consecutive patients were recruited, 72 male and 70 female, median age 66 years (range 26-90 years), a median of 27 (range 3-258) months after radiotherapy. In total, 62 had been treated for a gynaecological, 58, a urological and 22, a gastrointestinal tract tumour. Of these, 21 had undergone previous gastrointestinal surgery and seven suffered chronic gastrointestinal disorders preceding their diagnosis of cancer. The Vaizey questionnaire suggested that 27% patients were incontinent for solid stools, 35% for liquid stools and 37% could not defer defaecation for 15 min. The IBDQ suggested that 89% had developed a chronic change in bowel habit and this change significantly affected 49% patients: 44% had more frequent or looser bowel movements, 30% were troubled by abdominal pain, 30% were troubled by bloating, 28% complained of tenesmus, 27% were troubled by their accidental soiling and 20% had rectal bleeding. At least 34% suffered emotional distress and 22% impairment of social function because of their bowels. The small intestine/colon SOMA median score was 0.1538 (range 0-1) and the rectal SOMA median score was 0.1428 (range 0-1). Pearson's correlations for the IBDQ score and small intestine/colon SOMA score was -0.630 (P<0.001), IBDQ and rectum SOMA -0.616 (P<0.001), IBDQ and Vaizey scores -0.599 (P<0.001), Vaizey and small intestine/colon SOMA 0.452 (P<0.001) and Vaizey and rectum SOMA 0.760 (P<0.001). After radiotherapy for a tumour in the pelvis, half of all patients develop gastrointestinal morbidity, which affects their QOL. A modified IBDQ and Vaizey questionnaire are reliable in assessing new gastrointestinal symptoms as well as overall QOL and are much easier to use than LENT SOMA.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The Pediatric Musculoskeletal Functional Health Questionnaire. A function assessment questionnaire for detection of illnesses of the locomotor system in children and adolescents--initial results of validating a German version].

AIM: It was the purpose of this investigation to create a German version of the Pediatric Musculoskeletal Functional Health Questionnaire and to test its reliability, practicability and acceptance in children and adolescents with musculoskeletal disorders. METHODS: In a first step, the Pediatric Musculoskeletal Functional Health Questionnaire was translated into the German language. Then 147 patients with musculoskeletal disorders or respectively, their parents were asked to fill in the questionnaire, in order to test the reliability, the internal consistency, the practicability, and the acceptance of this instrument. RESULTS: The test-retest reliability for the subscales was high, it ranged between r = 0.56 and 0.93. Concerning the internal consistency of items and subscales we found only moderate results. The acceptance of the Questionnaire was high in patients or, respectively, their parents with 92%. Furthermore, the instrument has shown to be practicable and economical. CONCLUSION: With the German version of the Pediatric Musculoskeletal Functional Health Questionnaire a multidimensional instrument is now available that reliably measures health status as well as therapeutic effects in children and adolescents with musculoskeletal disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

The development and validation of a questionnaire to assess visual symptoms/dysfunction and impact on quality of life in cataract patients: the Visual Symptoms and Quality of life (VSQ) Questionnaire.

The aim of the study was to develop a new questionnaire to assess visual symptoms/dysfunction and impact on vision-specific quality of life for those undergoing second eye cataract extraction. Items for the VSQ questionnaire were devised with reference to existing literature and following consultation with eye care experts (n = 18) and interviews with cataract patients (n = 40). Piloting work conducted with 53 patients indicated that the questionnaire was promising, with a high level of internal consistency, low levels of missing data and indications that it was responsive to surgery. A modified version of the questionnaire was completed by 105 patients having received 'early' surgery and 103 scheduled for routine surgery within a randomised controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of second eye cataract surgery. Analyses showed that the internal consistency of both the visual symptoms/dysfunction and quality of life areas was high (Cronbach's alpha 0.82 and 0.83, respectively). Highly significant improvements were found for early surgery patients (p < 0.0001), with little change among routine surgery patients. Two final versions of the VSQ questionnaire have been produced for future use in assessing visual symptoms/dysfunction and impact on vision-specific quality of life: a scoreable short form and more detailed and sensitive long form.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Comparison of food frequency questionnaires: the reduced Block and Willett questionnaires differ in ranking on nutrient intakes.

Food frequency questionnaires, major tools in epidemiologic studies, are often criticized for biased and imprecise intake estimates. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of two widely used food frequency questionnaires, a reduced 60-item Block questionnaire and a 153-item Willett food frequency questionnaire, relative to three 24-hour recalls administered by telephone. The dietary data were collected in 1991 from a group of healthy women age 25-49 years (n=101) during the baseline period of a weight-loss intervention study in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Total energy and macro- and micronutrient intakes were compared across methods by using four analytic approaches: comparison of means and correlation coefficients, regression analysis, and estimation of percent agreement between each questionnaire and recalls. The Block instrument showed an overall underestimation bias, but was more successful in categorizing individuals on percent energy from fat and carbohydrate intakes than was the Willett instrument. The Willett instrument showed no overall underestimation bias and was more successful in classifying individuals on vitamin A and calcium intakes. Diverging performance characteristics of diet assessment methods have an implication for the design of studies, interpretation of results, and comparison of findings across studies.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

The Maine-Seattle back questionnaire: a 12-item disability questionnaire for evaluating patients with lumbar sciatica or stenosis: results of a derivation and validation cohort analysis.

STUDY DESIGN: Analysis of health-related quality of life data obtained from a prospective cohort study of patients with sciatica due to an intervertebral disc herniation or lumbar spinal stenosis. OBJECTIVE: To derive and validate a shortened version of a previously validated 23-item modification of the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: For patients with low back pain, improving health-related quality of life is often the main goal of therapy. The Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire is one of the best validated and most frequently used back-specific functional status measures. A shortened version may permit more widespread use in clinical and research settings. METHODS: Data from 507 patients with sciatica enrolled in the Maine Lumbar Spine Study were used to derive a shortened version of a 23-item modification of the original Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire using qualitative and cluster analysis techniques. The internal consistency, construct validity, reproducibility, and responsiveness in detecting change over a 3-month period for a new 12-item scale was compared to the original 23-item scale. The 12-item scale was then validated in an independent cohort of 148 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. RESULTS: Internal consistency was very good but modestly lower for the 12-item instrument compared to the 23-item original scale. Reproducibility over a 3-month interval was good and did not differ between the 12-item and original scale. Findings from the validation cohort were similar or better than the derivation cohort. A high degree of construct validity with patient-reported symptoms was demonstrated for the 12-item and original scales. The responsiveness and interpretability of the 12-item scale over 3 months was excellent and comparable to the original scale. Responsiveness assessed in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis in the independent validation cohort showed consistent findings compared to patients with a disc herniation in the derivation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This short, simple, self-administered 12-item back-specific functional status questionnaire performed extremely well in comparison with the original 23-item scale. If validated in additional study populations, this new questionnaire may be useful in the clinical setting as a way for providers to prospectively compare their outcomes of care to other patient populations, and to study treatment effectiveness.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Validation of a patient-administered questionnaire to measure the severity and bothersomeness of lower urinary tract symptoms in uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI): the UTI Symptom Assessment questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a self-administered questionnaire to assess the 'severity' and 'bothersomeness' of the most frequently reported signs and symptoms of uncomplicated urinary tract infection (uUTI). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The UTI Symptoms Assessment questionnaire (UTISA) is a 14-item instrument asking about the severity and bothersomeness of seven key uUTI symptoms. It was developed after comprehensive literature and data review and administration in draft form to a sample of 30 women with uUTI. The final questionnaire was completed by 276 women with uUTI who participated in a noncomparative clinical trial of ciprofloxacin. The women completed the questionnaire in electronic format at baseline (before the first dose of ciprofloxacin once-daily), at 3-h and 8-h intervals until all UTI symptoms were resolved, and at the test-of-cure visit. Baseline scores on the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) were used to assess convergent and divergent validity; responses to the Global Rating of Change (GRC) were used to assess both responsiveness and the 'minimally important difference'. Discriminant validity and responsiveness were assessed by comparing UTISA scores with a clinical evaluation of UTI symptoms performed by the investigator at baseline and at the test-of-cure visit. RESULTS: The UTISA was found to comprise three four-item domains named 'urination regularity', 'problems with urination', and 'pain associated with UTI'. Two questions asking about haematuria loaded on a fourth factor. The three domains were homogeneous (with high inter-item correlations) and internally consistent. Convergent validity was shown by high correlations between similar UTISA and KHQ domains (all r(s) > 0.40), and divergent validity by small correlations between unlike domains (all r(s) < 0.15). In general, the UTISA domains showed excellent discriminant validity, with scores on selected domains discriminating between women with different clinical evaluations. The responsiveness of the UTISA was also excellent, with high correlations between changes in domain scores and the clinical evaluation and GRC items. Symptom improvement was highest in the first 3 h, leading to greater responsiveness and minimally important difference during this period. However, the UTISA could detect even small subsequent changes. CONCLUSION: The three-domain UTISA has excellent psychometric properties and it is likely to prove an excellent tool for assessing uUTI outcome from a patient's perspective, both in research and clinical settings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Reproducibility of a meal-based food frequency questionnaire. The influence of format and time interval between questionnaires.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the reproducibility and reported level of energy intake obtained using three versions of a meal-based food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) considering, firstly, the influence of FFQ format and, secondly, the influence of time interval between questionnaires. DESIGN: The study was conducted in two parts. In the first, subjects were randomly allocated to three groups (one for each FFQ) and sent, by mail, the same FFQ to complete on two separate occasions with a time interval of 4-6 weeks. In the second study, the reproducibility of one of the FFQs used in the initial study was compared, after an interval of 3 months, in a further group of people, matched as far as possible for gender, age and socio-economic status of area of residence. SUBJECTS: The study population was 651 supermarket shoppers from Geelong, a regional centre with a population of 150,000 situated in Victoria, Australia, who had previously responded to an in-store survey about meat purchasing patterns. Of the 651 shoppers, 144 women and nine men (38% of those eligible) in part I and 98 women and two men (45% of those eligible) in part II of the study satisfactorily completed a FFQ on both occasions. RESULTS: While there were few statistically significant differences in terms of mean nutrient intake and nutrient density between the three FFQ formats, all under-estimated energy intake relative to the minimum estimated energy requirements for a sedentary population. A significant decrease in reported intake of approximately 10% was also observed, regardless of FFQ format used, when the same questionnaire was completed a second time after an interval of 4-6 weeks. In contrast, when the time interval between questionnaires was increased to 3 months, there were few significant differences in intake between the first and second administrations. Moreover those changes in food intake which were significantly different after the longer interval were, in general, consistent with expected seasonal changes in food intake patterns. CONCLUSION: Under the conditions of our study differences in FFQ format appeared to have less effect on estimates of mean intake than the length of the time interval between questionnaires. Our results suggest that motivation to complete a FFQ is significantly diminished on the second occasion, when the interval between FFQs is only 4-6 weeks and to a lesser extent when it is 3 months. Researchers planning studies which aim to assess short-term changes in food intake by means of a FFQ, for example after an intervention programme, need to be aware of this effect and to determine its magnitude, by assessing the reproducibility of their FFQ over the relevant time-interval prior to the proposed intervention and by including an appropriate non-intervention comparison group in the design of their study if seasonal effects are likely to occur in the course of the study.

Energy Intake↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Comparative evaluation of a German version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire and the Hannover Functional Capacity Questionnaire].

OBJECTIVE: To translate the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ) into a German version, to validate and to compare its properties with two different versions of the Hannover Functional Ability Questionnaire (HFAQ) in a German speaking population. METHODS: The test-retest reliability was tested by Pearson correlation in 32 outpatients of the Department of Rheumatology of the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover. For retesting, the questionnaire was mailed to them 1 week later. To validate the questionnaire it was administered to 110 inpatients in three different hospitals. All patients fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology 1987 revised criteria of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or the Rome criteria of definitive inactive RA. The internal consistency was measured by Cronbach's coefficient alpha (CCA). To assess criterion validity we compared the HAQ and the two versions of the HFAQ with Keitel's test (KT) and the modified Steinbrocker classification (mSC). Construct validity was assessed by comparing these instruments with different clinical and laboratory variables. A multivariate analysis was used to identify the most important factors that are influencing the HAQ- and HFAQ-scores. RESULTS: Test-retest reliability of the HAQ was r = 0.94. CCA was 0.91 (HAQ), 0.90 (HFAQ-P) and 0.93 (HFAQ-PR). The KT Pearson correlation coefficients reached r = -0.73 (HAQ), r = +0.74 (HFAQ-P) and r = +0.71 (HFAQ-PR). The mSC correlated r = +0.75 (HAQ), r = -0.72 (HFAQ-P) and r = -0.70 (HFAQ-PR). The correlation coefficients of HAQ/HFAQ-P was r = -0.87 and of HAQ/HFAQ-PR r = -0.88. The correlations between other clinical and laboratory variables reached from r = +/-0.58 (pain/HAQ) to r = +/-0.11 (number of swollen joints/HFAQ-PR). In backward multiple regression analysis 59-64% of the variance of disability measured by the questionnaires was explained predominantly by pain (32-33%) and by range of motion (16-21%). CONCLUSION: The German version of the HAQ presented here and the two versions of the HFAQ are reliable and valid instruments for measuring functional disability in a German-speaking population with RA. The construct measured by the HAQ and both versions of the HFAQ showed a high degree of correspondence.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1999

Toward a multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ): assessment of advanced activities of daily living and psychological status in the patient-friendly health assessment questionnaire format.

OBJECTIVE: To develop components of a multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) through the addition of new items in the "patient-friendly" HAQ format, including advanced activities of daily living (ADL), designed to overcome "floor effects" of the HAQ and modified HAQ (MHAQ) in which patients may report normal scores although they experience meaningful functional limitations, and psychological items, designed to screen efficiently for psychological distress in routine care. METHODS: The new MDHAQ items, as well as scales for pain, fatigue, helplessness, and global health status on a 2-page questionnaire, were completed by 688 consecutive patients with various rheumatic diseases, including 162 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 114 with fibromyalgia, 63 with osteoarthritis, 34 with systemic lupus erythematosus, 20 with vasculitis, 18 with psoriatic arthritis, 16 with scleroderma, and 261 with various other rheumatic diseases, over 2 years at a weekly academic rheumatology clinic. RESULTS: The new MDHAQ items have good test-retest reliability and face validity. MHAQ scores were highest in patients with RA, and scores for other scales were highest in patients with fibromyalgia. On the advanced ADL, 58% of patients reported difficulty with errands, 68% with climbing stairs, 79% with walking two miles, 87% with participating in sports and games, and 94% with running or jogging two miles. On the psychological items, 75% of patients reported difficulty with sleep, 63% with stress, 61% with anxiety, and 57% with depression. Normal MHAQ scores were reported by 23% of patients and normal HAQ scores by 16% of patients who completed these questionnaires, while fewer than 5% had normal scores on the MDHAQ. CONCLUSION: The MDHAQ items overcome in large part the "floor effects" seen on the HAQ and MHAQ, and are useful to screen for problems with sleep, stress, anxiety, and depression in the "patient-friendly" HAQ format. These data support the value of completion of a simple 2-page patient questionnaire by each patient at each visit to a rheumatologist.

Female↗
PubMed2006

Partial questionnaire designs, questionnaire non-response, and attributable fraction: applications to adult onset asthma.

The attributable fraction (AF) is often used to explore the policy implications of an association between a disease and an exposure. To date, there have been no proposed estimators of AF in the context of partial questionnaire designs (PQD). The PQD, first proposed in a public health context by Wacholder is often used to enhance response rates in questionnaires. It involves eliciting responses from each subject on preassigned subsets of questions, thereby reducing the burden of response. We propose a computationally efficient method of estimating logistic (or more generally, binary) regression parameters from a PQD model where there is non-response to the questionnaire and the rates of non-response differ between sub-populations. Assuming a log-linear model for the distribution of missing covariates, we employ the methods of Wacholder to motivate consistent estimating equations, and weight each subject's contribution to the estimating function by the inverse probability of responding to the questionnaire. We also propose techniques for goodness-of-fit to assist in model selection. We then use the PQD regression estimates to derive an estimate of AF similar to that proposed by Bruzzi. Finally, we demonstrate our methods using data obtained from a study on adult occupational asthma, conducted within a Massachusetts HMO. Although we concentrate on a particular type of missing data mechanism, other missing data techniques can be incorporated into AF estimation in a similar manner.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The quality of life in patients with chronic pancreatitis evaluated using the SF-12 questionnaire: a comparative study with the SF-36 questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: In clinical practice there is the need to utilise a time saving questionnaire to assess the quality of life. AIMS: To establish the validity of the SF-12 questionnaire in chronic pancreatitis patients and to identify the predictors capable of modifying the physical and mental summaries in these patients. QUESTIONNAIRES: SF-12 and SF-36 questionnaires were used. SUBJECTS: One hundred and forty-one outpatients with proven chronic pancreatitis. The data of 141 sex- and age-matched Italian subjects of two normative groups (61,434 Italian subjects for SF-12 and 2031 Italian subjects for SF-36) were used as controls. RESULTS: Chronic pancreatitis patients had the SF-12 physical and mental component summaries significantly related to the SF-36 physical and mental component summaries (P<0.001). The presence of pancreatic pain and non-pancreatic surgery accounted for 41.3% in the formation of the PCS-36 score and 37.2% in that of the PCS-12 score, respectively. Gender, BMI and pancreatic pain accounted for 15.3% of the information in the formation of the MCS-36 and for 14.7% in that of the MCS-12; using these clinical variables, the loss of information in applying the SF-12 instead of the SF-36 was very low (4.1 and 0.6% for the PCS and the MCS, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The SF-12 is a good alternative to the SF-36 in assessing the quality of life in chronic pancreatitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

A new questionnaire specifically designed for patients affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; The Italian Health Status Questionnaire.

The aim of this study was to develop a specific and valid questionnaire for Italian COPD patients, living on the north or the south of Italy-which are two culturally distinct areas. The project consisted in three steps: (1) initial item set generation to identify items relevant to both genders, all ages and both regions; (2) item reduction including tests of regional specificity; (3) tests of internal validity using item-response theory using Rasch one-parameter modelling. Ninty-six COPD patients (mean aged 69 yr; 78 Male) completed the original set of 124 items of the Italian Health Status Questionnaire (IHSQ). Item reduction was carried out using an established standardised approach employing classical psychometric test theory. The internal construct validity of the 47 items that survived this process were tested to determine whether they constituted a unidimensional construct "impaired health due to COPD" using Rasch analysis. This showed that the questionnaire had very good psychometric properties, with an excellent Person Separation Index of 0.95 and no evidence of bias due to item-trait interaction (chi104(2)=127.1, P=n.s.). The combination of classical test theory and modern item-response methodology has produced a questionnaire with excellent measurement properties suitable for COPD patients whether from the north or south of Italy.

Adult↗