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Autoimmune bullous disease QOL questionnaire valid, reliable

A novel questionnaire to assess quality of life for patients with autoimmune bullous disease was considered valid and reliable, according to recent study results.

Researchers developed a 45-item pilot Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (ABQOL) questionnaire and administered it to 70 patients with autoimmune bullous disease (AIBD; mean age, 60.1 years; 36 men). The survey was refined by experts in bullous disease, and after factor analysis, a final version with 17 questions was created. Twenty patients retook the questionnaire within 3 days of completing the initial survey. Validity and reliability results were evaluated.

A patient interview process and expert review established face and content validity. Twenty-eight patients had pemphigus vulgaris, 25 had bullous pemphigoid, eight presented with pemphigus foliaceus, four with mucous membrane pemphigoid, three with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita and two with linear IgA bullous dermatosis. A moderate correlation existed between the ABQOL and scores on the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI; R=0.63) and the General Health subscale of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (R=0.69; P=.009) for convergent validity. Pemphigus Disease Area Index (R=0.42) and Autoimmune Bullous Disease Skin Disorder Intensity Score (R=0.48) showed a low correlation with the ABQOL.

The ABQOL had greater sensitivity than the DLQI (P=.02) in discriminant validity. Internal consistency (Cronbach alpha coefficient, 0.84) and test-retest reliability (mean percentage variation, 0.92) found the ABQOL to be reliable.

“To our knowledge, the ABQOL represents the first disease-specific QOL instrument for use in AIBD, and our findings indicate that the instrument is a valid and reliable patient-based measure,” the researchers concluded. “The specificity of the tool enables it to overcome the disadvantages of more generic QOL instruments and represents a promising patient-based measure to quantify disease burden, monitor disease activity and map QOL dimensions as interventional targets.”

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.