EORTC QLQ-LC43量表在中国肺癌患者中的有效性验证

目的 验证EORTC QLQ-LC43量表在中国肺癌患者中应用的有效性.方法 以2012年11月至2013年4月在天津肿瘤医院接受门诊治疗的214例肺癌患者作为调查对象,同时完成量表EORTC QLQ-LC43和SF-36的测评,并进行KPS评分,对结果采用Cronbach α系数、Pearson 相关检验及Kruskal-Wallis检验进行统计分析.结果 除认知功能（Cronbach α=0.401）外,其余各维度信度均较好（Cronbach α＞0.7）;EORTC QLQ-LC43与SF-36中相同或相似的维度具有较好的相关性,共性量表C30中与功能相关的维度除情绪功能（EF）外,各维度与KPS得分相关性均较好,而与症状相关的维度相关性则较低,在肺癌症状子量表中,呼吸困难（LC-DY）与KPS的相关性较好,其余条目均相关性一般;按照KPS评分高低将患者分为3组,组间LC43评分比较,除DY、LC-HA维度外,差异均有统计学意义.结论 EORTC QLQ-LC43量表应用于中国肺癌患者,具有良好的信度和效度.     

The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30): translation and validation study of the Iranian version

The objective of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Iranian version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30). The English-language version of the questionnaire was translated into Persian (Iranian language), and its final form was approved by the EORTC Study Group on Quality of Life before it was used in this study. The questionnaire was administered at two time points to a consecutive sample of 168 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, and almost all of them (99%) found the questions easy to understand and acceptable. Crohnbach's alpha coefficient for multi-item scales (to test reliability) ranged from 0.48 to 0.95 at baseline and from 0.52 to 0.98 at follow-up administration of the questionnaire. Validity was checked using two methods: inter-scale correlation and known-groups comparison. Almost all inter-scale correlations were statistically significant in the expected direction. Known-groups comparison analysis showed that all functioning and symptom scales discriminated between subgroups of patients differing in clinical status as defined by their performance status and disease stage. In general, the findings of this study indicate that the Iranian version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 is a reliable and valid measure of quality of life in cancer patients and can be used in clinical trials and studies of outcome research in oncology.     

Validation and comparison of the health-related quality-of-life instruments EORTC QLQ-C30 and SF-36 in assessment of patients with chronic nonmalignant pain

The EORTC QLQ-C30 health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire was developed for use in clinical cancer trials. It has also been applied in studies of patients with chronic nonmalignant pain in spite of nondocumented validity. Validation of the EORTC QLQ-C30 in this patient population and comparison with the traditional first choice HRQoL instrument in chronic nonmalignant pain, the SF-36, are, therefore, required. Two hundred eighty-six patients admitted to the tertiary multidisciplinary pain center at St. Olavs University Hospital in Trondheim, Norway, completed both the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the SF-36 at admittance. Correlations between EORTC QLQ-C30 and SF-36 measures of the same concept were between 0.70 and 0.81 for all five domains covered by both instruments. Internal consistency was below 0.70 for the EORTC QLQ-C30 scales physical functioning (0.57), pain (0.68), role functioning (0.43), cognitive functioning (0.66), and nausea/vomiting (0.53), as well as the SF-36 scale role emotional functioning (0.66). Large floor or ceiling effects were seen for several EORTC QLQ-C30 scales. While SF-36 addresses no other symptoms than pain and fatigue, the EORTC QLQ-C30 also includes sleep, financial difficulties, nausea/vomiting, dyspnea, appetite loss, constipation, and diarrhea. Even though some EORTC QLQ-C30 scales have unsatisfactory internal consistency, EORTC QLQ-C30, similar to SF-36, has overall acceptable psychometric properties. The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a valid alternative to the SF-36 when a broader assessment of symptoms is desired.     

低位/超低位直肠癌患者前切除保肛手术后生存质量调查

目的了解低位/超低位直肠癌患者前切除保肛手术后的生存质量。方法使用欧洲癌症协会组织生存质量核心量表及结直肠癌专用问卷,对58例行前切除保肛术的低位/超低位直肠癌患者在出院后首次门诊随访时(术后第4周)、术后第3个月(化疗中期)、术后第6个月(化疗结束)进行调查。结果患者术后总的生存质量、生理功能、角色功能、情感功能、认知功能、社会功能、性功能、性满意度及对预后的期望及疼痛、泌尿道症状及男性性功能在术后第4周、第3个月、第6个月随时间延长逐渐好转;而疲乏、恶心呕吐、食欲下降、便秘症状、排便问题与体质量下降问题在术后3个月内变化不明显,术后第6个月则明显减轻。结论本组低位直肠癌前切除保肛术患者总的生存质量在术后6个月内是动态变化的,从术后4周、术后3个月至术后半年呈现明显改善趋势。临床护理和健康教育指导需根据前切除保肛术患者的情况有针对性地进行。     

Cross-cultural application of the Korean version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 15-Palliative Care

ContextThe European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 15-Palliative Care (EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL) is a shortened version of the EORTC QLQ-C30, developed for use in advanced cancer patients.ObjectivesWe evaluated the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL to determine if this tool can be used to evaluate Korean patients with cancer who receive palliative care.MethodsA multicenter, cross-sectional survey was performed in palliative care units and hospices in Korea from September to October 2009. A total of 102 patients with cancer completed the questionnaires that included the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL.ResultsThe compliance rate was high, with the missing rate for each item ranging from 0% to 7.8% (mean 3.1%). A multitrait scaling analysis revealed good convergent and discriminant validity, with only three scaling errors. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.65 to 0.89. The questionnaire discriminated among patient subgroups with different clinical profiles (e.g., performance status and degree of oral intake), thereby demonstrating the clinical validity of this tool.ConclusionOur findings indicate that the Korean version of the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL is a reliable and valid instrument with regard to its psychometric properties. This tool is suitable for measuring quality of life, particularly with regard to physical aspects, in Korean cancer patients who receive palliative care.     

The Norwegian brief pain inventory questionnaire: translation and validation in cancer pain patients

The European Association of Palliative Care recommends the Brief Pain Inventory questionnaire (BPI) as a pain assessment tool in clinical studies. After translation into Norwegian, we administered the BPI to 300 hospitalized cancer patients. Cronbach's alphas were computed to assess reliability, and factor analysis was utilized to ascertain construct validity. The BPI interference and pain severity scales were validated against items on pain intensity and pain influence on daily function in the European Organization for Research and Therapy of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 questionnaire. In total, 235 patients (78%) were able to complete the BPI questionnaire, but 82 (35%) of these questionnaires had one or more missing items. Cronbach's alphas were 0.87 for the pain severity and 0.92 for the interference scales. A factor analysis identified three factors; pain intensity, interference with physical function, and interference with psychological functions/sleep. These three factors explained 82% of the variance. The correlation between BPI pain severity index and the EORTC QLQ-C30 item on pain intensity was 0.70 (P < 0.001). The correlation between BPI interference index and the EORTC QLQ-C30 item on pain influence on daily living was 0.62 (P < 0.001). We conclude that BPI has satisfactory psychometric properties, but is not completed by a significant proportion of patients. Further research is needed to establish pain assessment tools for patients unable to answer a comprehensive pain questionnaire, to establish routines for analysis of missing values, and to investigate if pain interference items also reflect disease-related impairment.     

New insights in symptom assessment: the Chinese Versions of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form (MSAS-SF) and the Condensed MSAS (CMSAS)

There are very few symptom assessment instruments in Chinese. We present the validity and reliability of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form (MSAS-SF) and the Condensed Form MSAS (CMSAS) in Chinese cancer patients. The Chinese version of the 32-item MSAS-SF, a self-report measure for assessing symptom distress and frequency in cancer patients, was administered to 256 Chinese patients with colorectal cancer at a clinical oncology outpatient unit. Highly prevalent symptoms included worrying (59%), dry mouth (54%), lack of energy (54%), feeling sad (48%), feeling irritable (48%), and pain (41%). Both the MSAS-SF and CMSAS demonstrated good validity and reliability. For the MSAS-SF subscales, Cronbach alphas ranged from 0.84 to 0.91, and for CMSAS subscales, from 0.79 to 0.87. Moderate-to-high correlations of MSAS-SF and CMSAS subscales with appropriate European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 subscales (0.42–0.71, Ps < 0.001) indicated acceptable convergent validity. Low correlations with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem and Optimism Scale (0.22, P < 0.001) indicated divergent validity. MSAS subscales varied as expected with other Chinese scales—the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ) and the Life Orientation Scale. Construct validity of both MSAS versions was demonstrated by effective differentiation between clinically distinct patient groups (Karnofsky scores <80% vs. ≥80% [P < 0.001]; no active treatment vs. active treatment [P < 0.002–0.034]; CHQ-12 scores ≤4 vs. CHQ-12 scores >4 [P < 0.001]). The Number of Symptoms subscale correlated appropriately with the EORTC QLQ-C30 function (−0.46 to −0.60, P < 0.001) and symptom scales (0.31–0.64, P < 0.001). The average time to complete the MSAS-SF was six minutes. The Chinese versions of the MSAS-SF and CMSAS are valid and practical measures. Further validation is needed for Chinese patients with other cancer types and with other symptom instruments.     

A patient-reported outcome instrument to assess the impact of oropharyngeal mucositis on health-related quality of life: a longitudinal psychometric evaluation

Goals of work  An oropharyngeal mucositis (OM)-specific health-related quality of life measure (OMQoL) has been developed to assess the impact of OM from the perspective of patients. The current paper describes the convergent, concurrent, and known-group validities and responsiveness in relation to clinical and health outcomes. Materials and methods  A multicenter approach was used, and 137 patients treated with different cancer therapies completed the OMQoL and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire [EORTC QLQ-C30 (Ch)] twice over a 4-week period or weekly over a 7-week period, along with concurrent measures of OM and its related symptoms. Main results  The OM-related symptom scores correlated highly with the OMQoL, confirming its convergent validity (r = −0.724–−0.971, p < 0.01). Moderate correlations between the subscales of the OMQoL and EORTC QLQ-C30 (Ch) were indicative of good concurrent validity (r = 0.450–0.724, p < 0.01). The OMQoL was able to distinguish between patients with different severities of OM (p < 0.01) and types of cancer therapy (p < 0.01), providing evidence of good known-group validity. The changes in effects sizes corresponding to changes in OM curves indicate that the OMQoL is responsive to changes in OM status. Conclusions  These findings suggest that the OMQoL has very good psychometric properties and can be used as a health-related quality of life assessment for cancer patients with OM. Much work is still needed in strengthening the psychometric qualities and interpretability of the OMQoL by demonstrating its ability to detect outcome changes over time.     

EORTC QLQ-C30 and FACT-Lym for the assessment of health-related quality of life of newly diagnosed lymphoma patients undergoing chemotherapy

PurposeThe aim of this study was to assess the validity of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life, Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Functional Assessment of Chronic illness Therapy-Lymphoma (FACT-Lym) instruments (Greek version) in patients with lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy, as well as the comparative evaluation of the questionnaires themselves.MethodHealth related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using the two previously mentioned instruments as well as the generic Short Form 36 (SF-36), which was used as a standard and its scores were compared to the corresponding norms of the Greek general population. The sample consisted of 80 newly diagnosed patients with lymphoma, who had completed their chemotherapy treatment. Reliability (Cronbach's a), central tendency and variability for the scales were assessed. Associations between the instruments' scales were examined via Spearman's correlations.ResultsCronbach's a, was >0.70 for all the scales, with exception of the emotional well being scale of FACT-Lym and two functional scales of QLQ-C30. There is a significant correlation between similar scales of the questionnaires, and particularly strong (>0.50) between global, functional and physical subscales of the FACT-Lym and QLQ-C30 instruments. Also, five scales of the SF-36, showed significantly lower mean values compared to the corresponding Greek norms.ConclusionsThe Greek versions of FACT-Lym and QLQ-C30 appear to be reliable and valid tools for assessing HRQoL in this category of patients. The two disease-specific QoL instruments complement each other and neither can be replaced by the other.     

Validation of a symptom measure suitable for use among palliative care patients in the community: CAMPAS-R

The purpose of the study was to investigate psychometric properties of CAMPAS-R, an instrument for prospectively monitoring patients' symptoms and needs during palliative care at home. CAMPAS-R was piloted for face and content validity and then administered alongside criterion measures to a home care sample. Cronbach's alpha was used to test internal consistency and criterion-related validity was tested by non-parametric correlation with Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and EORTC QLQ-C30. Predictive validity was assessed by relating CAMPAS-R scores to survival. One hundred and nine patients were recruited to the study. Good reliability and high correlations between CAMPAS-R and criterion measures were found. Predictive validity was demonstrated by significant differences in symptom scores between groups differing in length of survival. CAMPAS-R is acceptable to patients, families and primary care professionals and is a valid, reliable instrument, which has the benefit of being easy to score.     

Validity and reliability of the EQ-5D for cancer patients in Korea

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the EQ-5D health questionnaire for use in patients with cancer in Korea.

Methods

Patients with colorectal cancer were recruited from one ambulatory cancer center. Each participant consecutively self-administered the EQ-5D, the EORTC QLQ-C30, and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Discriminatory ability was evaluated by comparing the SF-36 subscales with their corresponding EQ-5D dimensions. Convergent validity was assessed by examining the correlations between the EQ-5D index, EORTC QLQ-C30 subscales, and SF-36 scale and summary scores. Test-retest reliability was also evaluated.

Results

Subjects reporting problems in each EQ-5D dimension showed lower scores on all SF-36 subscales. As expected, the relationships were stronger between the EQ-5D functional dimensions and physical function on the EORTC QLQ-C30 and between the EQ-5D anxiety/depression dimension and emotional function on the EORTC QLQ-C30. The EQ-5D index and SF-36 scales were moderately or highly correlated. intraclass correlation coefficient of the EQ-5D index was 0.45.

Conclusions

The Korean version of the EQ-5D may be a valid tool for assessing the health-related quality of life of patients with cancer. However, further research is needed to determine the reliability of the Korean EQ-5D over different time intervals and disease conditions.     

The cancer outpatient satisfaction with care questionnaire for chemotherapy, OUT-PATSAT35 CT: a validation study for Spanish patients

Purpose

The OUT-PATSAT35 CT questionnaire evaluates satisfaction with care expressed by cancer outpatients receiving chemotherapy. This study assesses the psychometric properties of the OUT-PATSAT35 CT when applied to a sample of Spanish patients.

Methods

One hundred seventy-six patients with different tumour sites and disease stages completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ)-C30, the OUT-PATSAT35 CT, the Oberst patients’ perception of care quality and satisfaction scales (OS) and the item on intention to recommend the hospital (IR). Psychometric evaluation of the structure, reliability and validity of the questionnaire was conducted.

Results

Multitrait scaling analysis showed that 32 of 34 item-scale correlation coefficients met the standards for convergent validity and that many of them met the standards for discriminant validity. Cronbach’s coefficients were good (0.78–0.97) for all scales except doctor availability and environment. Correlations between the QLQ-C30 and the OUT-PATSAT35 CT were low (≤0.40). Correlations between IR and the OUT-PATSAT35 CT were moderate, and correlations between this questionnaire and the OS were fairly low. Areas whose contents were more related had higher correlation coefficients (>0.50) and vice versa (<0.1). Male patients, elderly patients, those with higher education levels, those with higher scores in four OS and patients who had not received surgery showed higher satisfaction with care in several OUT-PATSAT35 CT areas.

Conclusions

The OUT-PATSAT35 CT is a reliable and valid instrument when applied to a sample of Spanish cancer patients. These results are in line with those of the validation study conducted by the authors of the questionnaire and with the validation study for Spain of the OUT-PATSAT35 RT.     

康复护理小组对骨肉瘤截肢患者生活质量的影响

目的探讨由患者、家长和护士组成的康复护理小组对骨肉瘤截肢患者生活质量的影响。方法将38例骨肉瘤截肢患者分为两组,2008年2月—2009年1月18例患者为对照组,2009年2月—2009年12月20例患者为干预组。对照组接受常规的护理指导,干预组接受康复护理小组的护理干预,采用欧洲癌症治疗研究组织针对肿瘤患者制定的生活质量核心问卷（EORTC-C30）中文版（QLQ-C30）分别对患者5个功能领域、3个症状领域、1个整体健康状况和6个单一条目的生活质量进行比较。结果干预组在角色功能、社会功能、认知功能、情感功能、整体健康、疲倦、疼痛、失眠和食欲丧失方面比对照组明显改善。结论康复护理小组的综合指导与护理能明显调适骨肉瘤截肢患者的心理状态,改善患者的各项功能,对提高患者的生活质量有积极的促进作用。     

永久性结肠造口患者生存质量的调查分析

目的描述直肠癌永久性结肠造口患者术后6个月内生存质量状况及其变化。方法采用欧洲癌症研究与治疗组织的生存质量核心问卷和直结肠癌专用问卷,对49例结肠造口患者进行追踪调查,分别在术后1个月、3个月、6个月时收集患者生存质量资料。结果3次调查均参加的患者有33例。直肠癌结肠造口患者总的生存质量及功能量表中生理功能、角色功能、认知功能、情感功能和社会功能等与术后1个月时的状况相比,在术后3个月时有了明显改善,术后3个月到6个月期间变化不明显。在术后6个月内直肠癌结肠造口患者的疲乏、疼痛、呼吸困难、睡眠紊乱、食欲减退等症状逐渐加重;而泌尿症状、胃肠道症状、与造口有关的问题、体重下降、化疗不良反应在术后6个月内症状逐渐减轻。结论结肠造口患者的生存质量是动态变化的,护理工作者应该根据患者的实际情况给予有针对性的指导和帮助。     

脑瘤患者生活质量测定量表EORTCQLQ-C30、QLQ-BN20的中文版评价

目的考评中文版EORTC QLQ-C30、QLQ-BN20量表组合的信度、效度、相关系数,并评价用这种量表组合评估中国原发及继发脑瘤患者生活质量的可行性。方法2013年9月-2014年3月,采用通过翻译、回译及文化调适制定的中文版EORTC QLQ-C30[1]和QLQ-BN20[2]量表组合,对我院165例原发或继发脑瘤患者进行生活质量测定来对量表组合进行评价。结果EORTC QLQ-BN20的4个多条目维度中,两个维度的Cronbach′sα系数>0.8(分别为0.822和0.811),另外两个维度的α系数也都>0.7(分别为0.796和0.762),且4个多条目维度的条目与其自身维度相关系数均>0.4,基本所有条目与自身维度的相关系数均大于与其它维度的相关系数。采用Pearson相关系数检验EORTC QLQ-C30、EORTC QLQ-BN20两量表各维度间的相关性,结果显示,除个别维度中度相关,其余均为弱相关。结论EORTC QLQ-C30、QLQ-BN20的中文版量表组合具有较好的相关性、信度、聚合效度及区分效度。EORTC QLQ-BN20是对EORTC QLQ-C30的较好补充,使其更适用于原发或继发脑瘤患者。该量表组合可用于中国脑瘤患者的生活质量测定。     

Psychometric testing of the Chinese Mandarin version of the MacNew Heart Disease Health‐related Quality of Life questionnaire for patients with myocardial infarction in mainland China

Tools to measure the quality of life of Chinese myocardial infarction (MI) patients in mainland China are small in numbers. For this study, 210 Chinese patients with MI were recruited to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese Mandarin version of the MacNew Heart Disease questionnaire. Thirty‐five participants managed to complete the retest after 2 weeks. The MacNew Heart Disease questionnaire had acceptable internal consistency, test–retest reliability and concurrent validity. The principal components analysis identified three factors which accounted for 56.6% of the variance. The MacNew Heart Disease questionnaire demonstrated good reliability and validity to be used as a health status measurement tool, and is ready for clinical use in the assessment of the quality of life of Chinese MI patients in mainland China.     

The Cancer Care Monitor: psychometric content evaluation and pilot testing of a computer administered system for symptom screening and quality of life in adult cancer patients

Technology is making the routine screening of symptoms and the measurement of quality of life (QoL) more feasible at the point of care. However, most existing symptom screening scales and QoL measures were not developed for clinical use and were not formatted and validated for administration through computerized mediums. The Cancer Care Monitor (CCM) is a symptom-based scale developed for administration on pen-based computers. This study is an initial evaluation of the reliability and validity of the CCM. Three samples of adult outpatients provided ratings on 38 physical, psychological, and functional oriented items of the CCM that comprise six symptom scales and one global QoL index. All additive scales are converted to normalized T scores. Reliability was examined through internal consistency and confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent and divergent validity were examined by comparing CMM scores to established measures of corresponding constructs and physician judgments. Alternative forms reliability was established by comparing paper and pencil administration with computer administration. Internal consistency reliability and factor analyses confirmed the structure of the CCM as comprising six primary symptom scales and one global QoL index. Internal consistency reliabilities ranged from 0.80 to 0.89. The pattern of correlations between CCM scales and established measures supported the convergent and divergent validity of the CCM scales. Alternate forms reliability based on paper and computer forms of the CCM scales was high. Patients indicated a preference for the computer-administered version. Results suggest that CCM items can be scored as a reliable and valid measure of constructs related to physical, psychological, and functional status, and global health-related QoL in adult cancer patients. Future studies should replicate and further evaluate the properties of the CCM, especially in relation to clinical utility.     

Psychometrics of a Chinese translation of the swallowing questionnaire

AIMS OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of a swallowing questionnaire. BACKGROUND/RATIONALE: Impaired swallowing may lead to serious complications if health care professionals do not accurately assess the problem and promptly intervene. The recognition of symptoms indicative of a swallowing problem is essential for nurses. The swallowing questionnaire could provide nurses with a valid instrument to assess patients' impaired swallowing. DESIGNS/METHODS: Phase I consisted of experts doing the initial translation into Chinese and back-translations of the questionnaire. Five experts then determined content validity of the Chinese version, and 35 bilingual subjects determined equivalence of the Chinese translation and English version. Phase II determined concurrent validity and internal consistency using 113 screened medical patients as subjects. Phase III used 105 screened long-term care subjects to determine construct validity. RESULTS/FINDINGS: In Phase I, rating on the appropriateness of items on the Chinese version yielding a content validity index of 0.988. The coefficient of equivalence between the Chinese and English versions of the instrument was 0.81, while per cent agreement for all items on the two versions ranged from 0.80--1.00. Phase II established internal consistency with a K-R20 of 0.74, and concurrent validity yielded a correlation between the swallowing questionnaire and the neurological swallowing exam of 0.675 (P < 0.01). Phase III determined construct validity with significant positive correlations found between the swallowing questionnaire and stroke history and masticatory ability. Significant negative correlations were found between swallowing and cognitive status, functional status and albumin. CONCLUSIONS: Although useful as a tool for nursing assessment and intervention, further work on the swallowing questionnaire such as conducting video fluoroscopy and a swallowing speed test, are recommended to further validate its accuracy.     

Assessing burden of illness following acute deep vein thrombosis: data quality, reliability and validity of the Norwegian version of VEINES-QOL/Sym, a disease-specific questionnaire

The data quality, reliability and validity of the Norwegian version of VEINES-QOL/Sym were assessed in 74 patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This patient-reported questionnaire produces two scale scores of venous disease-specific quality of life and venous symptoms. Items had low levels of missing data. Item-total correlations ranged from 0.41 to 0.78 with the exception of 0.29 for the symptom item 'night cramps'. Internal consistency was supported by Cronbach's alpha of 0.88 and 0.94 for VEINES-Sym and VEINES-QOL, respectively. Test–retest reliability assessed for 40 patients gave intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.83 and 0.88 for VEINES-Sym and VEINES-QOL, respectively. Assessment of correlation between the two scales and other clinical measures supports the construct validity of the scales. The results indicate acceptable internal consistency, test–retest reliability and validity of the Norwegian version of the VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire in patients with DVT. The results follow those of previous studies, and support the use of VEINES-QOL/Sym in the evaluation of patient outcomes and burden of illness in clinical studies of venous thrombosis.     

Construct and criterion validity of the DUFS and DEFS⁴ in Lithuanian patients with coronary artery disease

Background Fatigue has become an important symptom in clinical diagnosis and clinical trials among subjects with cardiovascular diseases and disease‐specific fatigue scales were developed in a Dutch and English version. Objective Various questionnaires for measuring fatigue have been developed, but currently no validated questionnaire targeted at subjects with cardiovascular disease and heart failure exists in the Lithuanian language. Methods Despite the rigor of the exploratory factor analysis and analyses of the psychometric properties of the disease‐specific Dutch Fatigue Scale and the Dutch Exertion Fatigue Scale (DUFS–DEFS) we adopted a confirmatory approach considered as the gold standard method for the evaluation of construct validity in psychometric inventories. To test the criterion validity of the DUFS and DEFS structural equation modelling was employed with the widely used and validated Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI). Results The a priori specification of a hypothesized five‐factor model of the MFI‐20 and a two‐factor model of the DUFS and DEFS appeared to have a good fit to the data in Lithuanian patients. The hypothesized model of the criterion validity of the DUFS and DEFS had a good fit and classes of disease severity showed statistically significant and clinically relevant differences on fatigue scores. Conclusion The construct validity and criterion validity of the DUFS and DEFS were confirmed in a Lithuanian sample of cardiac patients. The construct validity of the MFI was also supported and this fatigue measure can be used in Lithuanian settings of clinical practice and research.