[Can indicator parameters for patient estimation of rehabilitation success be derived from the SGRO (Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire)?].
OBJECTIVE
Quality of life assessed by the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) is an important outcome-parameter for pneumological rehabilitation programmes. However, criteria for qualitative assessment of the change are lacking. To evaluate clinically significant changes, the approach of a global patient's judgement is used to assess a patient-experienced clinical outcome as external criterion. The changes in quality of life of 166 asthma and COPD patients who estimated the treatment efficacy differently were compared by analysis of variance. Group means with distinct 95% confidence boundaries were used to define indicators to estimate the clinically significant change in HRQOL for the patients.


RESULTS
Whereas no distinct confidence boundaries are found in the subscales, the SGRQ total score could be used to identify indicators for clinically significant changes in quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
The assessment of an empirically-based, patient judgement as criteria for changes in quality of life by rehabilitation programmes increases the evidence-based evaluation by a patient-oriented perspective. At the same time it reduces the lack of significant criteria for estimating clinically significant changes.
Karpinski
N
N
Zentrum für Klinische Psychologie und Rehabilitation, Universität Bremen. nkar@uni-bremen.de
Petermann
F
F
Schultz
K
K
D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires