The short-form chronic respiratory disease questionnaire was a valid, reliable, and responsive quality-of-life instrument in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the psychometric properties of the short-form chronic respiratory disease questionnaire (SF-CRQ) as a quality-of-life (QOL) instrument in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations.


METHODS
In a prospective multicenter cohort study, consecutive emergency department (ED) patients with COPD exacerbation were interviewed using the SF-CRQ and other instruments. Baseline information was collected in the ED and from follow-up data 2 weeks later. The results of the SF-CRQ were compared with the results of the other instruments and clinical variables by correlation and factor analyses.


RESULTS
Of the 301 enrolled patients, 80% reported improvements across each of the domains of the SF-CRQ over the 2-week post-ED period. Overall median changes for the dyspnea, fatigue, emotional function, and mastery domains were 2, 1, 1, and 1.5, respectively (P<0.001 for each domain). Correlation and factor analyses support their convergent/divergent validity and construct validity. The reliability for the change score of the SF-CRQ was high (Cronbach's alpha coefficient, 0.82). Overall minimal clinically important difference for improvement in the SF-CRQ was 1.01 (95% confidence interval, 0.72-1.31).


CONCLUSIONS
SF-CRQ is a valid, reliable, and responsive instrument for the assessment of short-term QOL change in patients with COPD exacerbations.
Tsai
Chu-Lin
CL
EMNet Coordinating Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA. cltsai@hsph.harvard.edu
Hodder
Richard V
RV
Page
John H
JH
Cydulka
Rita K
RK
Rowe
Brian H
BH
Camargo
Carlos A
CA
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index