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Development and testing of the Pulmonary Functional Status and Dyspnea Questionnaire (PFSDQ)
S C Lareau1, V Carrieri-Kohlman, S Janson-Bjerklie
1Jerry L. Pettis VAMC, Loma Linda, CA 92357.
Objective:
To develop and test the Pulmonary Functional Status and Dyspnea Questionnaire (PFSDQ) that measures both intensity of dyspnea with activities and changes (reductions or improvements) in the ability of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary, disease to perform daily activities.
Design:
Instrument development and initial testing for validity and reliability.
Setting:
Hospital-based pulmonary rehabilitation program.
Patients:
One hundred thirty-one adult male patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Mean age was 63.7 +/- 6.2 years.
Outcome Measures:
Pulmonary Functional Status and Dyspnea Questionnaire, pulmonary function and exercise parameters.
Results:
The PFSDQ is a 164-item paper and pencil self-administered questionnaire and consists of two components measuring dyspnea intensity with activities and changes in functional ability related to 79 activities of daily living. Activities are grouped into scales of self-care, mobility, eating, home management, social, and recreational. The dyspnea component measures the level of dyspnea patients report with these activities. The functional abilities component evaluates the degree to which the performance of activities has changed as the result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The activities are relevant for adults of both sexes and reflect various energy workload requirements. Normative data for both components were described. Content and initial construct validity of the PFSDQ was supported by clinical experts and findings related related to expected theoretical relationships. Internal consistency reliability for both the dyspnea and functional abilities components was 0.91. The alpha coefficients for the scales ranged from 0.88 to 0.94. A case study was used to describe the clinical application of the PFSDQ.
Conclusion:
The PFSDQ can be used clinically and in research studies to assess dyspnea and changes in the functional ability of patients with pulmonary disease. Although further testing is warranted, initial evaluation supports the validity and reliability of the PFSDQ.