Assessment of health-related quality of life in arthritis: conceptualization and development of five item banks using item response theory.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Modern psychometric methods based on item response theory (IRT) can be used to develop adaptive measures of health-related quality of life (HRQL). Adaptive assessment requires an item bank for each domain of HRQL. The purpose of this study was to develop item banks for five domains of HRQL relevant to arthritis.

Methods

About 1,400 items were drawn from published questionnaires or developed from focus groups and individual interviews and classified into 19 domains of HRQL. We selected the following 5 domains relevant to arthritis and related conditions: Daily Activities, Walking, Handling Objects, Pain or Discomfort, and Feelings. Based on conceptual criteria and pilot testing, 219 items were selected for further testing. A questionnaire was mailed to patients fro

SUBMITTER: Kopec JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1550394 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature