title: Psychometric properties of the Chinese quality of life instrument (HK version) in Chinese and Western medicine primary care settings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Chinese Quality of Life Measure (ChQOL) had only been validated on a small number of selected subjects in Hong Kong and had never been tested in the Western medicine (WM) primary care setting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test the psychometrics properties of ChQOL(HK version) in both TCM and WM general outpatient clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three samples of Chinese adult patients [(1) 569 consulting TCM clinics for episodic illnesses; (2) 524 consulting WM clinics for episodic illnesses; (3) 205 consulting WM clinics for chronic disease follow-up] in Hong Kong were invited to complete the ChQOL(HK version) and the SF-36 Health Survey during their consultations and 2 weeks after consultations. The scaling assumptions, factor structure, convergent construct validity, reliability, responsiveness, and discriminatory power of the ChQOL were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Majority of items satisfied the scaling assumptions. A two instead of 3-factor structure was found with physical form and emotion facets loading on one factor. Convergent construct validity was confirmed with moderate correlations with SF-36 scores. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were satisfactory. The ChQOL(HK version) was able to detect significant improvements 2 weeks after consultations, and it was able to discriminate between groups with different illness severity, age, and sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ChQOL(HK version) was shown to have satisfactory validity, reliability, discriminatory power, and responsiveness in both TCM and Western medicine primary care settings. The validity of the 3-domain scaling structure needs further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Ap Lei Chau Clinic, Hong Kong. wwong110@hku.hk
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Cindy Lo Kuen
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Kwok Fai
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000592:standards*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013315:Stress, Psychological