Measurement properties of adult quality-of-life measurement instruments for eczema: protocol for a systematic review.
BACKGROUND
Eczema is a common chronic or chronically relapsing skin disease that has a substantial impact on quality of life (QoL). By means of a consensus-based process, the Harmonising Outcome Measures in Eczema (HOME) initiative has identified QoL as one of the four core outcome domains to be assessed in all eczema trials (Allergy 67(9):1111-7, 2012). Various measurement instruments exist to measure QoL in adults with eczema, but there is a great variability in both content and quality (for example, reliability and validity) of the instruments used, and it is not always clear if the best instrument is being used. Therefore, the aim of the proposed research is a comprehensive systematic assessment of the measurement properties of the existing measurement instruments that were developed and/or validated for the measurement of patient-reported QoL in adults with eczema.


METHODS
This study is a systematic review of the measurement properties of patient-reported measures of QoL developed and/or validated for adults with eczema. Medline via PubMed and EMBASE will be searched using a selection of relevant search terms. Eligible studies will be primary empirical studies evaluating, describing, or comparing measurement properties of QoL instruments for adult patients with eczema. Eligibility assessment and data abstraction will be performed independently by two reviewers. Evidence tables will be generated for study characteristics, instrument characteristics, measurement properties, and interpretability. The quality of the measurement properties will be assessed using predefined criteria. Methodological quality of studies will be assessed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. A best evidence synthesis will be undertaken if more than one study has investigated a particular measurement property.


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed systematic review will produce a comprehensive assessment of measurement properties of existing QoL instruments in adult patients with eczema. We aim to identify one best currently available instrument to measure QoL in eczema patients.


BACKGROUND
PROSPERO CRD42015017138.
Medical Sociology, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, 93051, Regensburg, Germany. christian.apfelbacher@klinik.uni-regensburg.de.|Division of Public Health and Primary Care, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Falmer, BN1 9PH, UK. christian.apfelbacher@klinik.uni-regensburg.de.
Christian J
CJ
Apfelbacher
Medical Sociology, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, 93051, Regensburg, Germany. daniel.heinl@stud.uni-regensburg.de.
Daniel
D
Heinl
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. c.prinsen@vumc.nl.
Cecilia A C
CA
Prinsen
Centre for Evidence-based Healthcare, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany. Stefanie.Deckert@uniklinikum-dresden.de.
Stefanie
S
Deckert
Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2NR, UK. Joanne.Chalmers@nottingham.ac.uk.
Joanne
J
Chalmers
Department of Clinical Social Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany. Robert.Ofenloch@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
Robert
R
Ofenloch
Haywards Heath RH16 1UQ, West Sussex, UK. RNHumphreys@aol.com.
Rosemary
R
Humphreys
Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK. t.sach@uea.ac.uk.
Tracey
T
Sach
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA. schamlin@luriechildrens.org.
Sarah
S
Chamlin
Centre for Evidence-based Healthcare, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany. Jochen.Schmitt@uniklinikum-dresden.de.
Jochen
J
Schmitt
D000328:Adult; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D004485:Eczema / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D000078202:Systematic Reviews as Topic