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A health-related quality of life questionnaire for multiple sclerosis patients
L E Pfennings1, H M Van der Ploeg, L Cohen
1Dept of Medical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Objective:
The construction of a brief, valid and reliable HRQoL questionnaire for use in multiple sclerosis patients based on generic and disease-specific HRQoL measures.
Material And Methods:
The Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), COOP/ WONCA Charts, and Disability & Impact Profile (DIP) were used in a longitudinal study in 162 patients with multiple sclerosis.
Results:
Factor analyses identified 2 underlying dimensions of HRQoL, relating to "physical functioning" and "psychological functioning". Selection of the 3 highest loading reliable scales on each factor resulted in a final questionnaire consisting of 3 scales of the SF-36 and 3 scales of the DIP. In total 40 items were selected; completion time is about 10 min.
Conclusion:
The final questionnaire adequately measured 2 dimensions of HRQoL. The length of the questionnaire is acceptable for patients with MS in view of respondent burden.