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The MacNew heart disease health-related quality of life instrument: reference data for users
Tracy Dixon1, Lynette L Y Lim, Neil B Oldridge
1National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT. tracy.dixon@aihw.gov.au
Insights
This study provides reference data for the MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life instrument. Heart failure patients reported poorer quality of life compared to other diagnoses at four months post-discharge.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Health Outcomes Research
- Quality of Life Measurement
Background:
- The MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) instrument is crucial for assessing patient well-being after cardiac events.
- Establishing reference data is essential for accurate interpretation of HRQL scores in clinical practice and research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide normative data for the MacNew HRQL instrument.
- To establish reference values for patients with myocardial infarction, heart failure, and ischemic heart disease (IHD).
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 1506 patients with myocardial infarction, heart failure, or IHD were surveyed 4 months post-discharge.
- Quality of life scores were stratified by diagnosis, age, and sex.
- Score changes from 4 to 8 months were analyzed for a subset of 830 patients.
Main Results:
- Heart failure patients exhibited significantly lower HRQL scores compared to myocardial infarction and IHD patients at 4 months.
- HRQL scores showed minimal differences across age groups and sexes within diagnostic categories.
- Changes in HRQL scores between 4 and 8 months were not linked to diagnosis, age, or sex, but were associated with clinical events like readmission.
Conclusions:
- The generated reference data will aid in sample size calculations for future studies.
- These data facilitate comparisons of results across different research using the MacNew instrument.
- The study suggests a change value of 0.5 may indicate a minimal clinically important difference in HRQL.
Objective:
To report reference data for the heart-specific MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life instrument.
Methods:
One thousand five hundred and six patients with myocardial infarction (n = 346), heart failure (n = 201), and ischaemic heart disease (IHD, n = 959) were surveyed 4 months after hospital discharge. Quality of life scores were determined, stratified by diagnostic category, age and sex. Changes in scores from 4 to 8 months post-discharge were calculated for a subset of 830 patients, stratified by age and sex.
Results:
At 4 months there were no significant differences in scores between myocardial infarction and electively admitted IHD patients, however the scores of heart failure patients were significantly lower (indicating poorer quality of life) than those of patients with other diagnoses. There were few significant differences between age groups or sexes when comparing within diagnostic groups. Change from 4 to 8 months was not associated with diagnosis, age, or sex but was associated with events within the period (readmission or revascularisation). The change data suggest that a value of 0.5 may be a useful indicator of the minimal clinically important difference.
Conclusions:
These reference data will assist in sample size calculations and with comparison of results in other studies, and will be of use to researchers who are using or intending to use the MacNew instrument.