title: The VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire is a reliable and valid disease-specific quality of life measure for deep vein thrombosis in elderly patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively evaluate the psychometric properties of the Venous Insufficiency Epidemiological and Economic Study (VEINES-QOL/Sym) questionnaire, an instrument to measure disease-specific quality of life and symptoms in elderly patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and to validate a German version of the questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective multicenter cohort study of patients aged ≥ 65 years with acute venous thromboembolism, we used standard psychometric tests and criteria to evaluate the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the VEINES-QOL/Sym in patients with acute symptomatic DVT. We also performed an exploratory factor analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 352 French- and German-speaking patients were enrolled (response rate of 87 %). Both language versions of the VEINES-QOL/Sym showed good acceptability (missing data, floor and ceiling effects), reliability (internal consistency, item-total and inter-item correlations), validity (convergent, discriminant, known-groups differences), and responsiveness to clinical change over time in elderly patients with DVT. The exploratory factor analysis of the VEINES-QOL/Sym suggested three underlying dimensions: limitations in daily activities, DVT-related symptoms, and psychological impact.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire is a practical, reliable, valid, and responsive instrument to measure quality of life and symptoms in elderly patients with DVT and can be used with confidence in prospective studies to measure outcomes in such patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of General Internal Medicine, Bern University Hospital, Inselspital, 3010, Bern, Switzerland, marie.mean@insel.ch.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Méan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Limacher
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aujesky
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000523:psychology*