title: Validation of the AF-QoL, a disease-specific quality of life questionnaire for patients with atrial fibrillation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the performance of AF-QoL, a quality of life questionnaire for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Observational, prospective, multicentre study in 29 Spanish centres. Three patients' groups were identified at baseline visit: AF patients receiving a new therapeutic intervention according to physician criteria (intervention group); AF clinically stable patients according to physician evaluation (clinically stable group); and patients in a stable condition for more than 1 year after a myocardial infarction (control group). All patients were > or = 18 years. Follow-up visit was at 1 month (clinically stable group) and 3 +/- 1 months (intervention group). Sociodemographic and clinical information was gathered. AF-QoL, SF-36, and patient self-perception of general health status were administered. A total of 417 patients was included. Mean (SD) age was 61.2 (12.4), 31.4% women. AF-QoL mean overall score in AF patients (43.6) was lower (worse health-related quality of life, HRQoL) than in the control group (51.7) (P < 0.05). At baseline, patients with higher frequency of symptoms (P < 0.05) and worse NYHA functional class (P < 0.01) reported lower AF-QoL scores. AF-QoL and SF-36 correlated in all of their domains (r = 0.14-0.8, P < 0.01). AF-QoL showed good internal consistency (0.92) and test-retest reliability (0.86).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AF-QoL is a valid and reliable HRQoL measure. Further investigation is recommended before using it in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Arritmias, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arribas
authors.forename: José Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ormaetxe
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peinado
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Perulero
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Badia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*