Question

3. What are one advantage and one disadvantage of using the SF-36 to measure a patient's HRQoL?

Answer 1

To assess whether the Lupus Quality of Life Questionnaire (HRQoL) provided additional information that was not obtained using Questionnaire 36 for the medical outcome in a group of patients with systemic lupus necrosis.
Forty-one patients observed at one center were monitored monthly for 12 months. The questionnaire is organized monthly. Disease activity was determined by the 2000-American Lucius Disease Index every 30 days. We determined the proportion of four domains comparable across the two questionnaires. For the four incompatible HRQoL domains, we associated each domain with the Physical Summary and Psychosocial Outcomes scores of SF-36. The effect size and mean response rate were used to compare the responses of the two questions when clinically relevant changes in disease activity, as measured Defined by SF-36 occurs.

The visits of 36,776 patients were recorded. There was a strong correlation between the comparable domains in both questionnaires. For each of the four incompatible domains of HRQoL, there is a correlation with MCS and PCS of SPF 36. The mean scores for the comparable domains in the two questionnaires were similar. Both questionnaires show responses as defined by the AS and the SSTs. A.S. Among patients with flames and improvement, but not among patients who were exempt compared to previous visits.
Conclusion:

HRQoL and SF-36 were equivalent in assessing quality of life in this cohort. Both questionnaires were measures of response to quality of life in patients who were fit and improved.