Re-validation and shortening of the Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT) questionnaire.
OBJECTIVE
The original Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT) was designed to measure general aspects of quality of life (QOL) as well as specific anorexia/cachexia-related concerns. Our primary purpose was to reduce the number of anorexia/cachexia subscale items in a manner that either retains or improves reliability, validity and precision.


METHODS
The FAACT was administered using an interactive computer program that allowed immediate entry of the data. A total of 213 patients were recruited.


RESULTS
A combined empirical and conceptual approach led to the reduction of the anorexia/cachexia subscale (A/CS) from 18 to 12 items. A 26-item trial outcome index (TOI) combining physical well-being (PWB), functional well-being (FWB), and the A/CS-12 was highly reliable and sensitive to change in performance status rating (PSR). We found that PWB, FWB, and A/CS-12 subscales performed differently. Specifically, PWB and FWB scores decreased in patients whose (PSR) worsened. However, although A/CS-12 scores were responsive to change in PSR over time, average A/CS-12 scores of all patients, even those whose PSR worsened, improved over the course of treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Elimination of six items from the anorexia/cachexia subscale of the FAACT was accomplished without loss of internal consistency or sensitivity to change in performance status. The A/CS-12 subscale provides unique, important information not captured by a generic chronic illness questionnaire.
Ribaudo
J M
JM
Center on Outcomes Research and Education, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, IL, USA.
Cella
D
D
Hahn
E A
EA
Lloyd
S R
SR
Tchekmedyian
N S
NS
Von Roenn
J
J
Leslie
W T
WT
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification* / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000855:Anorexia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D002100:Cachexia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D002140:California; D002641:Chicago; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019290:Megestrol Acetate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000187:drug effects*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss
D019290:Megestrol Acetate