title: Development and validation of a quality-of-life questionnaire for mechanically ventilated ICU patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop and validate a new instrument for measuring health-related quality of life in mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expert panel consensus and a prospective longitudinal survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urban, academic, tertiary care medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred fifteen awake, mechanically ventilated, ICU patients who either received a tracheostomy or remained endotracheally intubated.
  
  
  METHODS
  A new quality-of-life instrument was developed and validated by using pilot study data; informal interviews of patients, families, and nurses; expert panel consensus; and item analyses. The new instrument was used to measure quality of life at three time points (5 d, 10 d, and 15 d after intubation).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A new 12-item quality-of-life questionnaire for mechanically ventilated patients was developed. Patients' responses to the quality-of-life questionnaire revealed moderate-to-high correlations with EuroQol scores (r = -0.4 to -0.9) and the EuroQol Visual Analog Scale (r = 0.6-0.9) across the three times and a moderate correlation with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment tool (r = 0.5) at 10 days after intubation. Cronbach α ranged from 0.80 to 0.94 across the three times. The quality-of-life questionnaire for mechanically ventilated patients was responsive to changes in treatment modalities (tracheostomy vs no tracheostomy and early vs late tracheostomy demarcated by 10 d of intubation). Exploratory factor analysis revealed that this instrument was unidimensional in nature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The new quality-of-life questionnaire for mechanically ventilated patients is valid and can reliably measure quality of life in mechanically ventilated ICU patients. It may provide clinicians with an accurate assessment of patients' quality of life and facilitate optimal decision making regarding patients' ICU plan of care.
authors: 1Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD. 2Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD. 3Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. 4Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD.
authors: Vinciya
authors: V
authors: Pandian
authors: Carol B
authors: CB
authors: Thompson
authors: David J
authors: DJ
authors: Feller-Kopman
authors: Marek A
authors: MA
authors: Mirski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult