title: The Liverpool Oral Rehabilitation Questionnaire: a pilot study.
abstract: There are several validated health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaires designed to record patient-derived outcomes in head and neck cancer. None deals specifically with oral rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to pilot a new questionnaire, the Liverpool Oral Rehabilitation Questionnaire (LORQ). The questionnaire consists of 25 items about oral function and denture satisfaction. A four-point Likert scale is used. Sixty-one consecutive patients attending oral rehabilitation clinics completed the LORQ in combination with the University of Washington Head and Neck questionnaire version 3 (UW-QOL) and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer H and N quality of life questionnaire (EORTC H and N 35). Forty-two patients received questionnaires at baseline, whereas the rest were provided with the questionnaires at various stages of oral rehabilitation. For each item on the questionnaire, a full range of possible responses were given by patients. Kappa coefficients of agreement for test-retest data indicated moderate to very good agreement between repeat questionnaires. There were significant correlations (P < 0.001) between items in the LORQ and those in the UW-QOL and EORTC HN questionnaires. The LORQ also identified differences in responses between non-cancer and cancer groups of patients undergoing oral rehabilitation. This study of the LORQ is encouraging, although data on its responsiveness over time and to intervention is awaited.
authors.affiliation: Oral and Maxillofacial Department, Countess of Chester Hospital, Chester, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pace-Balzan
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Cawood
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D001284:Atrophy; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology; D008336:Mandibular Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*