External validity of the pediatric cardiac quality of life inventory

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Health Outcomes Research
• Quality of Life Measurement

Background:

• The Pediatric Cardiac Quality of Life Inventory (PCQLI) is a disease-specific measure for pediatric heart disease (HD).
• Assessing health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is crucial for pediatric patients with HD.
• External validation is necessary to confirm the generalizability of HRQOL measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the external validity of the PCQLI scores.
• To confirm the PCQLI's reliability across diverse US pediatric populations.
• To support the use of PCQLI in multi-center health outcomes research.

Main Methods:

• Two samples were used: a PCQLI development site and six diverse US centers.
• Pediatric patients with acquired or congenital HD were recruited.
• Item response variability, scores (Total, Disease Impact, Psychosocial Impact), correlations, and internal consistency were analyzed and compared between samples.

Main Results:

• Data from 3,128 participants (patients and parents) were analyzed.
• Response option variability was acceptable in both samples.
• Inter-sample score comparisons showed no significant differences, with moderate item-total/subscale correlations and high subscale-subscale, subscale-total correlations, and internal consistency.

Conclusions:

• PCQLI scores demonstrate external validity across the US pediatric heart disease population.
• The PCQLI is suitable for multi-center health-related quality of life studies.
• These findings support the PCQLI's utility in diverse clinical settings.