title: Does spouse participation influence quality of life reporting in patients with Parkinson's disease?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether patient-spouse co-reporting (patient reporting with assistance from their spouse) results in the same ratings of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as patient ratings without co-reporting, and to assess whether mutuality of the marital relationship is a determinant of co-reported ratings. Patients are the best source of HRQoL; however, co-reporting is common in clinical settings, but has not been compared to independent patient reporting of HRQoL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-nine Parkinson's disease (PD) patient-spouse pairs completed the Short Form Health Status Survey (SF-12), measuring mental and physical HRQoL. Initially, the patient and spouse completed the SF-12 independently (about the patient). Then, patient-spouse pairs completed the SF-12 together assessing the patient's HRQoL. Patients and spouses independently completed the Mutuality Scale rating the intimacy of their relationship.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients rated physical HRQoL higher (M = 46.6) than spouses alone (M = 43.4, p < 0.01) and co-reporting (M = 44.8, p < 0.05). Co-reporting rated physical HRQoL in between that of patients and spouses, (p < 0.05). Spouses who reported greater mutuality showed greater concordance with the patient regarding the patient's mental HRQoL (B = -0.43, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consistency of the mode of completion of HRQoL instruments is important since co-reporting may alter HRQoL ratings in PD and lead to inaccurate conclusions. Mutuality is a mediator of mental HRQoL.
authors: Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA, chelseadmorrow@gmail.com.
authors: Chelsea D
authors: CD
authors: Morrow
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Smentkowski
authors: Stacy
authors: S
authors: Schwartz
authors: Melissa J
authors: MJ
authors: Armstrong
authors: Ann L
authors: AL
authors: Gruber-Baldini
authors: Karen E
authors: KE
authors: Anderson
authors: Stephen G
authors: SG
authors: Reich
authors: William J
authors: WJ
authors: Weiner
authors: Lisa M
authors: LM
authors: Shulman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D018454:Spouses