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Clinical Trial
. 2002 Feb;11(1):1-7.
doi: 10.1023/a:1014485627744.

Using the standard error of measurement to identify important changes on the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire

Kathleen W Wyrwich  1 , William M Tierney, Fredric D Wolinsky
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Using the standard error of measurement to identify important changes on the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire

Kathleen W Wyrwich et al. Qual Life Res. 2002 Feb.

Abstract

Objectives: To establish a link between the minimal important difference (MID) and the standard error of measurement (SEM) for all responsive dimensions of the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ).

Methods: Secondary data analysis of baseline and follow-up interview data from 198 outpatients with asthma enrolled in a randomized controlled trial and receiving care at a major urban academic medical center's general medicine clinics. Domain statistics for baseline and follow-up interviews were examined for the AQLQ. The baseline SEM values were compared with established AQLQ MID standards using weighted kappa values.

Results: One SEM identified the MID in responsive AQLQ dimensions. Weighted kappa values (0.88-0.93) validated excellent agreement between these two criteria.

Conclusion: This is the third study to support using one SEM to identify important individual change in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures. However, refinement of the process for determining a measure's clinically meaningful differences is still needed to secure a link between the SEM and the identification of relevant HRQoL change over time.

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