[Development of the German Scale for Assessing Quality of Life in Skin Diseases]

Abstract

Background and objective: A German dermatological quality-of-life (QoL) instrument was developed on the basis of a representative and standardised patient population.

Patients/methods: Qualitative interviews were performed in 633 patients. Based on the answers of 20 patients from each of the 10 most frequent diagnostic groups, items were identified and a questionnaire developed. This was used in 704 patients and eventually the number of items was reduced.

Results: The long version of the instrument has 72 items. The median of the total score of the questionnaire was 75 and significantly different between diagnostic groups (herpes/shingles 110, verruca 26; p < 0.001). Significant differences occurred also between questionnaire domains with categories "psychological, physical, and treatment" showing the highest results. In contrast to the total group, patients with urticaria scored highest in dimensions "social, leisure, and work" (p < 0.001). By factor analysis the number of items was reduced to 36.

Conclusions: The DIELH was developed on the basis of a standardised and representative patient population. The long version proved to have a good discriminant validity with respect to diagnostic groups and dimensions.