Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009 Feb;68(2):196-200.
doi: 10.1136/ard.2007.086009. Epub 2008 Apr 2.

The development of the L-QoL: a quality-of-life instrument specific to systemic lupus erythematosus

L C Doward  1 , S P McKenna, D Whalley, A Tennant, B Griffiths, P Emery, D J Veale
Affiliations

The development of the L-QoL: a quality-of-life instrument specific to systemic lupus erythematosus

L C Doward et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2009 Feb.

Erratum in

  • Ann Rheum Dis. 2011 Aug;70(8):1519

Abstract

Objectives: Complex diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), present dilemmas over choice of outcome measures. Using a battery of instruments to capture the impact of different impairments or activity limitations experienced does not provide assessment of the wider impact on quality of life (QoL). This paper describes the development and testing of a new instrument to measure QoL in systemic lupus erythematosus (L-QoL).

Methods: The development combines theoretical strengths of the needs-based QoL model with statistical and diagnostic powers of the Rasch model. Content was derived from in-depth interviews with relevant patients. Cognitive debriefing interviews assessed face and content validity. Rasch analysis was applied to data from an initial postal survey to remove misfitting items. A second postal survey assessed scaling properties, reliability, internal consistency and validity.

Results: A 55-item questionnaire was derived from interview transcripts. Cognitive debriefing confirmed acceptability. Rasch analysis of postal survey data (n = 95) removed misfitting items. A second postal survey (n = 93), produced a 25-item version with good item fit and stability, excellent test-retest reliability (0.92), internal consistency (0.92) and strict unidimensionality.

Conclusions: It is concluded that the L-QoL should prove a valuable instrument for assessing patient-based outcome in clinical trials and practice.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types