title: An assessment of the sensibility of a quality-of-life instrument.
abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the sensibility of an asthma quality-of-life questionnaire (AQLQ); therefore, a structured survey of asthma patients seen in Hamilton, Ontario, emergency departments and physicians involved in asthma management was performed. Twenty-five consecutive patients who had completed the AQLQ questionnaire twice during a 7- to 10-day pilot study assessed sensibility using a 12-item questionnaire. The same number of practicing physicians from four centers in Ontario were sent the asthma AQLQ questionnaire and were asked to complete a 13-item sensibility form. All patients who were approached successfully completed the sensibility assessment; 80% (20 of 25) of the practicing physicians completed the assessment. Mean response scores were more than 5 of a possible 7 points in all questions for both groups. Patients had more mean responses greater than 6 (7 of 12) than did physicians (2 of 13). The AQLQ seems acceptable and sensible to both patients and physicians. A formal assessment of the sensibility of an outcome measurement can provide valuable information regarding it's use. Both research and clinical outcomes should be subjected to this form of evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Northeastern Ontario Family Medicine Program, University of Ottawa, Sudbury, Canada.
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Oxman
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010361:Patients; D010820:Physicians; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires