How to Interpret Quality of Life Assessment of Patients With Chronic Wounds Using the Wound-QoL

The Wound-QoL assesses patients' health-related quality of life. Quick and valid interpretation of the results is crucial, but no thresholds have yet been established. Additionally, counting top box responses might be a quick approximation to the Wound-QoL score itself. The aim of this study was to develop Wound-QoL bands (i.e., thresholds) and to analyse top box responses. Patients from European countries completed the Wound-QoL and a global question. We grouped patients' Wound-QoL scores and mapped these on the global question score. Upon this, we developed sets of Wound-QoL bands and calculated the weighted kappa (κ) coefficient of agreement for each set. Moreover, we analysed the correlation of the sum of top box responses with patients' Wound-QoL. The 305 patients (mean age: 68.5 years; 52.8% male) had most frequently leg ulcers (49.2%). The final set of Wound-QoL bands with the highest κ coefficient (0.564 and 0.550) was 0-0.25, not at all/rarely impaired; > 0.25 to 1, a little; > 1 to 2, moderately; > 2 to 3, quite a lot; > 3 to 4, very much. Top box responses showed strong correlation with the Wound-QoL scores (0.961-0.961). We are confident that the Wound-QoL bands will facilitate interpretation of Wound-QoL data in routine care as well as in research.