Multivariate analysis of factors influencing quality of life and utility in patients with haemophilia.
OBJECTIVE
Although several studies have determined quality of life (QOL) in patients with hemophilia, generic questionnaires have rarely been used. The objectives of our study were; 1) to measure QOL and utility in patients with hemophilia using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and the EuroQOL questionnaires; 2) to evaluate the influence of some clinical variables on QOL and utility; 3) to assess the correlation between the two questionnaires.


METHODS
All consecutive patients with hemophilia were asked to complete the SF-36 and the EuroQOL questionnaires. The following information was recorded from each patient: age, type of hemophilia, severity of disease, HCV and HIV infection, number of bleeding episodes and cumulative dose of coagulation factors over the previous year. These items were entered into a multivariate analysis to assess their effect on QOL. Correlation analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between the EuroQOL and SF-36.


RESULTS
Fifty-six patients completed the SF-36 and the EuroQOL questionnaires. The mean scores of the SF-36 ranged from 55.2 (general health) to 74.7 (social functioning). The EuroQOLself-classifier and the EuroQOLvas showed a mean score of 0.67 (SD=0.26) and 0.66 (SD=0.17), respectively. Among the clinical variables, age significantly influenced both the EuroQOL and the SF-36 scores. The EuroQOL indices showed a statistically significant correlation with each dimension of the SF-36.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study quantified the degree to which QOL is impaired in patients with hemophilia by using both a generic questionnaire and a utility-based approach.
Trippoli
S
S
Drug Information Center, Azienda Ospedaliera Careggi, Florence, Italy.
Vaiani
M
M
Linari
S
S
Longo
G
G
Morfini
M
M
Messori
A
A
D000328:Adult; D017281:Cost of Illness; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires