title: Quick-FLIC--a short questionnaire for assessing quality of life of cancer patients.
abstract: Health-related quality of life instruments tend to include a great many items. This imposes a burden on the respondents as well as undermining response rate and data quality. In this study we developed a shortened version of the Functional Living Index-Cancer (FLIC), now called Quick-FLIC, and examined its measurement properties. A questionnaire package, self-administered by 140 patients, included the FLIC and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General. A factor analysis and clinical judgement were used to shorten the FLIC, which included 22 items. Each subscale of FLIC was shortened to include two or three items only. The Quick-FLIC included a total of only 11 items. Nevertheless, the measurement properties of the Quick-FLIC and its subscales were comparable to those of the original FLIC. It is concluded that the shortening of established health-related quality of life instruments is viable in oncology research.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Sciences, National Cancer Centre, Singapore. ctecyb@nccs.com.sg
authors.forename: Yin-Bun
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Kei-Siong
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Khoo
authors.forename: Zee-Wan
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Hui-Ti
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: See
authors.forename: Han-Chong
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Toh
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.forename: Gim-Yew
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Say-Beng
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires