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Lowering missing item values in quality-of-life questionnaires: an interventional study
Uwe Müller-Bühl1, Bernhard Franke, Katja Hermann
1Department of General Practice and Health Services Research, University Hospital, Vossstr. 2, Geb. 37, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany. uwe.mueller-buehl@med.uni-heidelberg.de
International Journal of Public Health
|December 25, 2009
Summary
Introductory questions in quality-of-life (QoL) questionnaires reduced missing item values (MIV) in male patients. Patient education level influenced missing data, but all participants benefited from this QoL form training.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background:
- Missing item values (MIV) are common in quality-of-life (QoL) questionnaires.
- Effective strategies to reduce MIV are crucial for reliable QoL assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if introductory exemplary questions decrease MIV in the SF-36 questionnaire.
- To identify patient-related factors influencing the effectiveness of QoL form training.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 215 patients with chronic diseases in primary care settings.
- Intervention group received three exemplary questions before completing the SF-36; control group did not.
- Analysis of MIV and computable SF-36 scales.
Main Results:
- The intervention significantly reduced MIV in male patients but not in females.
- Education status independently affected the number of missing data.
- While not statistically significant overall, the intervention group had fewer MIV impacting computable scales (13.2%) compared to the control group (26.6%).
Conclusions:
- Introductory exemplary questions can effectively reduce MIV in specific patient groups, particularly males.
- Patient education level is a significant factor in questionnaire data completeness.
- All participants benefited from the training, suggesting broader utility of such preparatory methods in QoL assessments.