Integrating patient preferences into health outcomes assessment: the multiattribute Asthma Symptom Utility Index.
OBJECTIVE
To develop and evaluate a brief, easy-to-administer symptom assessment scale for use as a preference-based outcome measure in clinical trials and cost-effectiveness studies in asthma.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey with 2-week reproducibility assessment.


METHODS
Ambulatory care: university asthma and allergy center.


METHODS
One hundred sixty-one adults with asthma, 59% female, mean age 35+/-11 years. Mean FEV1 percent predicted was 86+/-17%.


METHODS
The 11-item Asthma Symptom Utility Index (ASUI).


RESULTS
Mean ASUI score for this sample was 0.71+/-0.23, with a range from 0.02 to 1.0. The ASUI was reproducible (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.74) and able to distinguish patients known to differ on disease severity according to clinician ratings (p < 0.001) and by an asthma disease severity scale score (p < 0.001). The instrument was also significantly correlated with FEV1 percent predicted (r = 0.27, p < 0.001), the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (r = 0.77, p < 0.001), and the Health Utilities Index Mark 2 (r = 0.36, p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study support the reliability and validity of the ASUI, suggesting it will be a useful, complementary patient outcome measure for clinical trials and cost-effectiveness studies comparing treatment alternatives for persons with asthma.
Revicki
D A
DA
MEDTAP International, Inc, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Revicki@Medtap.com
Leidy
N K
NK
Brennan-Diemer
F
F
Sorensen
S
S
Togias
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010556:Personality Tests; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires