Using EQ-5D in children with asthma, rheumatic disorders, diabetes, and speech/language and/or hearing disorders

D.C.M. Willems*, M.A. Joore, F.H.M. Nieman, J.L. Severens, E.F. Wouters, J.J. Hendriks

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study explores several variables of the EQ-5D child version, a multi-attribute utility instrument, in children with chronic conditions. METHODS: A convenience sample was selected from hospital outpatient records and school records. The sample included children aged 7-18 years with the following chronic conditions: asthma, rheumatic disorders, diabetes, and speech/language and/or hearing disorders. The practicality, convergent validity, and discriminant power were compared with a generic quality of life questionnaire for children (TACQOL) and the 2-week test-retest reliability was assessed. RESULTS: A total of 182 children or their parents completed the first questionnaire and 161 children/parents completed both questionnaires. The practicality of the EQ-5D was good. Low to moderate correlations were found between the utilities and VAS scores and the TACQOL scales. The discriminant power of the EQ-5D items was low overall and was greater for children with a rheumatic disorder than for children with the other conditions. In the subset of children who experienced no health change between the test and the retest, the reliability of the EQ-5D was moderate to high. CONCLUSIONS: The EQ-5D seems suitable for children, although the use of an additional disease-specific questionnaire is still recommended. The EQ-5D seems the most suitable for children with a chronic physical condition and appears to be reliable for children with a stable health status.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)391-399
JournalInternational Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care
Volume25
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2009

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