title: A health-related quality of life questionnaire in symptomatic patients with heart failure: validity and reliability of a Japanese version of the MRF28.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Major characteristics of symptomatic patients with heart failure are exercise intolerance, poor prognosis, and poor quality of life (QOL). However, most QOL questionnaires are applicable for patients with mild to moderate heart failure, and are not sufficiently sensitive to discriminate between patients with NYHA classes III and IV. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a questionnaire focused on patients with severe heart failure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We developed a Japanese version of the Maugeri Foundation Respiratory Failure (MRF28) questionnaire and assessed validity and reliability of MRF28 in heart failure patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The MRF28 questionnaire was evaluated in 124 patients with heart failure (NYHA classes: I, 24; II, 31; III, 52; IV, 17). Reliability was evaluated by internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Validity was determined by correlation with World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) questionnaire and physiological parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MRF28 showed high internal consistency and reproducibility. The total score and subscores were all increased with the progress of heart failure. The total score could differentiate patients among NYHA II, III, and IV, but could not between NYHA I and II. However, all subscores and total score changed consistently with changes in symptoms of heart failure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRF28 is a valid and reliable disease-specific questionnaire for assessing QOL in symptomatic patients with heart failure. Thus, this questionnaire may be useful for a QOL evaluation of patients with moderate to severe heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Motonori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hatta
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joho
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Origasa
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*