PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Saskia Weldam
AU  - Marieke Schuurmans
AU  - Rani Liu
AU  - Jan-Willem Lammers
TI  - Evaluation of quality of life instruments for COPD care and research
DP  - 2011 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - p3629
VI  - 38
IP  - Suppl 55
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p3629.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p3629.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38
AB  - Background: Quality of Life (QOL) measurements to quantify the impact in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) with a standardized method has become important in the last decades. A variety of QOL instruments are available. To facilitate decision making with regard to an appropriate QOL instrument in COPD care and research, a systematic review was performed.Objective: To identify and evaluate content and psychometric properties of currently available QOL instruments in COPD care and research.Method: A systematic literature search was done. Based on criteria, 2 investigators independently identified eligible studies. Methodological quality and data on psychometric properties were assessed by using the Consensus based Standards for selection of health status Measurement Instruments (Mokkink et al. J Clin Epidem 2010;63:737-45).Results: 56 Studies, 11 disease-specific and 10 generic QOL instruments are identified. Methodological studies' quality is mostly rated fair. In 50 studies theoretically derived hypotheses are not described. In 34 studies confirmatory factor analysis was not performed. Measurement properties are in general positive. Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire has slightly better results than generic measures: hypothesis testing correlation>0.5, Chronbach's α>0.7, Intra Class Correlation (ICC) 0.5-0.9. The new COPD assessment test α=0.88, ICC= 0.8. Disease-specific instruments hold domains like dyspnea and activity. Social activity, emotional status, anxiety and pain are mostly included in generic instruments.Conclusion: Since both disease-specific and generic domains are important in measurement of QOL in COPD patients, we recommend to use at least two QOL instruments covering as many domains as possible.