EuroQoL in assessment of the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation COPD patients.
BACKGROUND
The effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on EuroQol in COPD patients has not been investigated previously.


METHODS
Two hundred and twenty nine consecutive COPD patients who had completed a 7-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme were assessed with EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D), endurance shuttle walk test (ESWT), and the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) before and after the programme, and at the 3-month follow-up visit.


RESULTS
Two hundred and two (88.4%) patients had FEV(1)<50% predicted and all but four (1.7%) had dyspnoea score at least 3 on MRC scale. At completion of the programme, statistical significant improvements were seen for ESWT 157.3s; p<0.001, EQ-5D utility score -0.019; p=0.03, EQ-5D VAS -2.1; p=0.056, SGRQ total score -2.8 units; p<0.001. The effects of rehabilitation on ESWT and SGRQ were maintained at 3-month follow-up (158.9s and -2.9 units), while the effect on EQ-5 utility decreased (0.013; p=0.18). At baseline, there was a maximum score ("ceiling effect") for EQ-5D utility and EQ VAS in 29 (12.7%) and five (2.2%) of the patients, respectively. After rehabilitation these number increased to 41 (17.9%) and seven (3.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
In COPD patients receiving rehabilitation, responsiveness of EQ-5D utility was poor. One explanation might be a "ceiling effect" of this instrument.
Ringbaek
Thomas
T
Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research Group, Department of Cardiology and Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Hvidovre, Denmark. ringbaek@dadlnet.dk
Brøndum
Eva
E
Martinez
Gerd
G
Lange
Peter
P
D000368:Aged; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*