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
. 2020 Sep;28(5):609-616.
doi: 10.1111/wrr.12837. Epub 2020 Jul 27.

Development and psychometric evaluation of the U.S. English Wound-QoL questionnaire to assess health-related quality of life in people with chronic wounds

Rachel Sommer  1 , Catharina C von Stülpnagel  1 , Caroline E Fife  2   3 , Mandy Blasingame  3 , Melissa J Anders  4 , Debi Thompson  4 , Matthias Augustin  1 , Neuza da Silva  1 , Christine Blome  1
Affiliations

Development and psychometric evaluation of the U.S. English Wound-QoL questionnaire to assess health-related quality of life in people with chronic wounds

Rachel Sommer et al. Wound Repair Regen. 2020 Sep.

Abstract

People with chronic wounds perceive an impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). For the assessment of HRQoL, valid instruments are needed. Therefore, the Wound-QoL questionnaire was originally developed and psychometrically validated for use in Germany. As the Wound-QoL is to be used in numerous countries, international versions are required. Therefore, this study aimed to psychometrically validate the U.S. English Wound-QoL version. Upon translation into U.S. English, psychometric testing was performed based on cross-sectional data deriving from the U.S. Wound Registry. Besides descriptive statistics, internal consistency and concurrent validity were tested. In addition, a graded response model was used. The sample consisted of 599 people with chronic wounds of different etiologies. Participants were between 18 and 95 years old, mean age was 63.7 (SD = 15.9) years. Gender was distributed almost equally, with 47.4% female patients. High internal consistency, low floor and ceiling effects of the subscales could be largely confirmed. The internal consistency of the global score was excellent, with α > .9. Concurrent validity between the Wound-QoL and pain, the surface area of the largest wound, total surface area, and total number of active wounds could be confirmed. In contrast, item response theory (IRT) analyses could not fully confirm the factorial model underlying the Wound-QoL subscales. Furthermore, the items regarding smell and discharge and the items on problems with hitting the wound against something, climbing stairs and feeling dependent on help from others showed a low item information in their belonging dimensions. In conclusion, the newly validated Wound-QoL is available for HRQoL measurement in people with chronic wounds in the United States. It showed good psychometric properties, demonstrating its reliability and validity. Therefore, the instrument may be used to assess HRQoL in clinical practice. However, IRT analyses showed that the instrument may benefit from future refinement.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Fayers P, Machin D. Quality of Life: The Assessment, Analysis and Interpretation of Patient‐Reported Outcomes. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons; 2013.
    1. Patrick DL, Burke LB, Powers JH, et al. Patient‐reported outcomes to support medical product labeling claims: FDA perspective. Value Health. 2007;10(2 Suppl):125‐137.
    1. Coulter A, Magee M. The European Patient of the Future. Maidenhead: Open University Press; 2003.
    1. Karimi M, Brazier J. Health, health‐related quality of life, and quality of life: what is the difference? Pharmacoeconomics. 2016;34(7):645‐649.
    1. Järbrink K, Ni G, Sönnergren H, et al. The humanistic and economic burden of chronic wounds: a protocol for a systematic review. Syst Rev. 2017;6(1):15.