Development of the ASQoL: a quality of life instrument specific to ankylosing spondylitis.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Although disease-specific health status measures are available for ankylosing spondylitis (AS), no instrument exists for assessing quality of life (QoL) in the condition. OBJECTIVE:To produce an AS-specific QoL measure that would be relevant and acceptable to respondents, valid, and reliable. METHODS:The ASQoL employs the needs-based model of QoL and was developed in parallel in the UK and the Netherlands (NL). Content was derived from interviews with patients in each country. Face and content validity were assessed through patient field test interviews (UK and NL). A postal survey in the UK produced a more efficient version of the ASQoL, which was tested for scaling properties, reliability, internal consistency, and validity in a further postal survey in each country. RESULTS:A

SUBMITTER: Doward LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1754293 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature