Development and validation of a low-literacy Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease knowledge Questionnaire (COPD-Q)

The objective of this study was to develop a content valid, understandable, readable, and reliable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease knowledge Questionnaire (COPD-Q).

Twenty-one questions were generated as potential items to include in the COPD-Q. Twenty-two content experts provided both qualitative and quantitative assessments of two COPD-Q drafts. Ten patient volunteers completed a field test to assess clarity of individual COPD-Q items. An additional 24 patient volunteers completed a pilot test to determine internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the COPD-Q. The Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) was used to assess reading grade level of the COPD-Q.

Thirteen items were rated as "essential" (content validity ratio= p <0.05) by content experts and composed the final COPD-Q. Internal consistency, using Cronbach's alpha, was 0.72. Test-retest reliability, using intraclass correlation coefficient, was 0.90. The FRE score of the COPD-Q was 74.7 (equivalent to a 5th grade reading level).

The COPD-Q is a valid, readable and reliable knowledge assessment instrument for assessing COPD knowledge in patients who may have low health literacy skills.

Health care providers can use the COPD-Q to tailor counseling efforts according to individual patient needs, and to assess the effectiveness of their educational interventions.