Development and validation of the Essen Melanoma Quality of Life Inventory (EMQoLI)

New treatments for melanoma, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy, present unique adverse events compared to traditional treatments like surgery and chemotherapy. Existing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures often fail to address these new treatment effects and focus primarily on chemotherapy and surgery. This study aimed to develop and validate a new HRQoL instrument for melanoma patients across all tumor stages, encompassing a broader range of adverse events and melanoma-specific aspects.

The Essen Melanoma Quality of Life Inventory (EMQoLI) was tested with 387 German-speaking malignant melanoma patients across all tumor stages.

Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure. Eight items were removed due to low or cross-loading, leaving a final version of 25 items with satisfactory reliability and internal consistency. Correlation analyses indicated good convergent and discriminant validity.

The EMQoLI is a 25-item German self-report tool based on a 5-point Likert scale, designed to assess HRQoL in melanoma patients across all tumor stages. It offers healthcare professionals an efficient tool to identify patients needing psychosocial support and can serve as a standardized measurement instrument in clinical settings.