Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Published on: April 23, 2014
Development and validation of a vitiligo-specific quality-of-life instrument (VitiQoL)
Evelyn Lilly1, Phoebe D Lu, Judy H Borovicka
1Department of Dermatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
Background:
Vitiligo significantly affects a person's health-related quality of life (HRQL). Although a small number of generic, and disease-specific, dermatologic HRQL measures exist, currently no vitiligo-specific instrument is available to capture disease-targeted concerns and issues.
Objective:
We sought to develop and validate a vitiligo-specific self-report instrument for HRQL.
Methods:
A pool of vitiligo-specific items was created based on in-depth interviews with patients with vitiligo (n = 16) and their responses to items in several previously validated HRQL measures. These items comprising our new instrument, VitiQoL, along with Skindex-16 and Dermatology Life Quality Index were administered to patients with vitiligo (n = 90) at two academic centers. This new instrument was validated using psychometric analysis.
Results:
The VitiQoL items showed high internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.935). Exploratory factor analysis demonstrated 3 factors: participation limitation, stigma, and behavior. Concurrent validity was evidenced by large correlations between self-reported severity and VitiQoL scores (r = 0.51). Known groups validity was demonstrated for the VitiQoL behavior subscale between individuals with exposed and unexposed patches (P = .01). Convergent validity was shown by strong correlations between VitiQoL and outside dermatology scales measuring similar constructs (Skindex-16, r = 0.82; Dermatology Life Quality Index, r = 0.83).
Limitations:
Potential selection bias was a limitation as most patients were recruited from academic centers. Reliability of the instrument was tested only with internal consistency and not reproducibility. Responsiveness of the instrument was not tested because of the prolonged time course necessary to observe clinically significant change in vitiligo.
Conclusion:
VitiQoL is a reliable and valid HRQL instrument.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
In Vitro Drug Release Testing: Overview, Development and Validation
Assessment of the Gastrointestinal System I: Subjective Data
Health History
The initial step in assessing the GI system is obtaining a comprehensive health history. This includes inquiring about the patient's history or presence of problems related to...
Reliability and Validity
Drug Product Performance: In Vitro–In Vivo Correlation
Assessment of Airway, Skin Color, and Use of Accessory Muscles
Introduction
The initial evaluation of a patient's respiratory system...
Changes in Skin Color: Clinical Perspectives
Albinism
Albinism is a genetic disorder that affects (completely or partially) the coloring of skin, hair, and eyes. The defect is primarily...
