title: Measurement properties of adult quality-of-life measurement instruments for eczema: a systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative has identified quality of life (QoL) as a core outcome domain to be evaluated in every eczema trial. It is unclear which of the existing QoL instruments is most appropriate for this domain. Thus, the aim of this review was to systematically assess the measurement properties of existing measurement instruments developed and/or validated for the measurement of QoL in adult eczema.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed and Embase identifying studies on measurement properties of adult eczema QoL instruments. For all eligible studies, we assessed the adequacy of the measurement properties and the methodological quality with the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. A best evidence synthesis summarizing findings from different studies was the basis to assign four degrees of recommendation (A-D).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 15 articles reporting on 17 instruments were included. No instrument fulfilled the criteria for category A. Six instruments were placed in category B, meaning that they have the potential to be recommended depending on the results of further validation studies. Three instruments had poor adequacy in at least one required adequacy criterion and were therefore put in category C. The remaining eight instruments were minimally validated and were thus placed in category D.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Currently, no QoL instrument can be recommended for use in adult eczema. The Quality of Life Index for Atopic Dermatitis (QoLIAD) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) are recommended for further validation research.
authors.affiliation: Medical Sociology, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heinl
authors.affiliation: VU University Medical Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C A C
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Prinsen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Evidence-based Healthcare, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deckert
authors.affiliation: Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Chalmers
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Drucker
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Social Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ofenloch
authors.affiliation: Budleigh Salterton, Devon, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Humphreys
authors.affiliation: Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sach
authors.affiliation: Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Chamlin
authors.affiliation: Centre for Evidence-based Healthcare, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.affiliation: Medical Sociology, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.|Division of Public Health and Primary Care, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Falmer, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3805-8219
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Apfelbacher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema initiative; core outcome set; eczema; measurement properties; quality of life