title: Self-reported functioning and well-being in patients with Parkinson's disease: comparison of the short-form health survey (SF-36) and the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39)
abstract: The purpose of this paper was to document the impact of Parkinson's disease (PD) upon patients using both a generic health status measure (the Short-form 36 health survey questionnaire, SF-36) and a disease-specific measure (the 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire, PDQ-39). Comparing the results of the SF-36 in this population with a similar aged group selected randomly from two general practices it was evident that the disease has considerable impact on general levels of functioning and well-being. Furthermore, other areas not contained on the SF-36 were found to be relevant to PD patients. It is suggested that the disease-specific measure will be of value, ideally alongside a generic measure, in studies aimed at determining the impact of a treatment régimen upon PD patients, or to monitor the long-term progress of cohorts of patients with PD. The paper highlights the need for careful consideration of measures for evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research Unit, University of Oxford.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jenkinson
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Peto
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Greenhall
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hyman
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012803:Sick Role