Chronic venous disease in Spain: doctor-patient correlation

The present study aimed to demonstrate how the quality of life (QoL) perceived by patients with chronic venous disease (CVD) is correlated with the severity of their disease objectively assessed by primary care physician.

A total of 1560 patients with CVD were evaluated using four measurement instruments: CEAP clinical classification, Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS), SF-12 Health Survey and Chronic Lower Limb Venous Insufficiency Questionnaire (CIVIQ-20). Statistical correlations between these tools were analysed using Spearman's coefficient.

Patients were distributed in C0, 58 (3.7%); C1, 243 (15.6%); C2, 328 (21.0%); C3, 357 (22.9%); C4, 368 (23.6%); C5, 136 (8.7%); and C6, 70 (4.5%). The VCSS score for the whole cohort was 0.89 ± 0.53. The correlation between CEAP and VCSS was moderately strong (r = 0.69). The overall QoL scores measured by SF and CIVIQ were 56.84 ± 19.63 and 65.11 ± 14.35, respectively. The correlation between the two QoL questionnaires was very strong (r = 0.81). The correlations of the SF and CIVIQ with the VCSS were moderately strong (r = -0.47 and -0.48). The correlations between QoL questionnaires and CEAP were moderate and lower than those with VSCC.

While there is correlation between VCSS, CEAP, modified CIVIQ and venous ultrasound findings, subgroup analysis indicates that this correlation is driven by different components of VCSS compared with the other venous assessment tools. Patients' opinions about their disease are correlated with those assessed by primary care physicians.