The left ventricular dysfunction questionnaire (LVD-36): reliability, validity, and responsiveness.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of a new health status measure (LVD-36) for patients with left ventricular dysfunction which was designed with emphasis on content validity, clarity, brevity, and ease of use.


METHODS
At baseline, patients completed the LVD-36 and a range of measures reflecting general health and disease severity. The LVD-36 was repeated after one week. After six months, it was repeated again, along with a transition question to measure global changes in health.


METHODS
Patients were recruited from the cardiology and general medical clinics at a south west London hospital.


METHODS
60 patients with chronic left ventricular dysfunction.


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Short form 36 questionnaire (SF-36), Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire (LIhFE), New York Heart Association criteria, and exercise performance and echocardiographic tests.


RESULTS
The LVD-36 showed good internal consistency (kappa = 0.95) and repeatability (r(i) = 0.95). Its scores were significantly associated with SF-36 mental and physical component scores (r = -0. 48 and -0.75; p < 0.0001), with exercise capacity (r = -0.52; p < 0. 0001), and with systolic shortening fraction (r = -0.27; p < 0.05). Change in the LVD-36 over six months was associated with change in overall health (F = 5.7; p < 0.001). In tests of validity and responsiveness, the LVD-36 performed similarly to or marginally better than the LIhFE.


CONCLUSIONS
The LVD-36 showed a high level of reliability and validity, and appears to measure changes in health. It provides a short, simple, valid, and reliable measure of health status in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.
O'Leary
C J
CJ
Division of Physiological Medicine, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK.
Jones
P W
PW
D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology*