title: EuroQoL in assessment of the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation COPD patients.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research Group, Department of Cardiology and Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Hvidovre, Denmark. ringbaek@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ringbaek
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brøndum
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lange
mesh_terms: 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*