Internet-based assessment of bowel symptoms and quality of life

We wished to determine the value of an open-access internet questionnaire for assessment of upper and lower gastrointestinal symptoms and health-related quality of life.

Between January 2002 and June 2005, a symptom scale for upper gastrointestinal and lower gastrointestinal symptoms was placed on a genuine website (www.gesundheits-umfrage.de) and linked to the website of the German irritable bowel syndrome patient group (www.Reizdarmselbsthilfe.de). Patients were asked to report gastrointestinal symptoms that had occurred during the last month. Patients who finished this symptoms questionnaire and acknowledged more than two of a total of eight upper gastrointestinal symptoms and/or more than two of 16 lower gastrointestinal symptoms were immediately offered the assessment of their health-related quality of life by a validated general quality of life scale--the patient general well-being inventory--a 22-item scale with six subscales (anxiety, depression, general well-being, self-control, health, and vitality) and a global scale. Total patient general well-being inventory scores and subscale values were correlated to upper gastrointestinal and lower gastrointestinal symptom scores including the Rome I definition of the irritable bowel syndrome, and to social variables.

Five thousand two hundred and fifty-six individuals completed symptom assessment. Out of these, 4431 had three or more upper gastrointestinal symptoms, the mean number of upper gastrointestinal symptoms reported was 3.2+/-2.0; 4456 had three or more lower gastrointestinal symptoms (mean: 10.3+/-3.3), and 3187 met the Rome I criteria for irritable bowel syndrome. A total of 3316 individuals completed the patient general well-being inventory assessment (1156 men, 2160 women, mean age: 37.7+/-12.3 years). Upper gastrointestinal, lower gastrointestinal, and total symptom score were higher in women than in men (P < 0.001), and significantly correlated to the global quality of life assessment. Family status affected the symptom scores (higher in singles) and quality of life scores (lower in people living in partnership for health, but higher for vitality and depression). Age correlated negatively with upper gastrointestinal, lower gastrointestinal, and with total symptom scores as well as with some patient general well-being inventory scores.

Symptom and quality of life assessment using an open internet questionnaire is feasible and generates data which are, in large, comparable to those from other sources of assessment, despite the fact that the population addressed is, on average, moderately younger than previously studied cohorts.