Minimal (clinically) important differences for the Fatigue Assessment Scale in sarcoidosis

W.P. de Kleijn, J. de Vries*, P.A.H.M. Wijnen, M. Drent

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The usefulness of any questionnaire in clinical management and research trials depends on its ability to indicate a likelihood of treatment success during follow-up. The Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) reflects a clinically relevant change score. The aim of this study was to estimate the MCID for the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) in patients with sarcoidosis. METHODS: Outpatients (n = 321) of the ild care team of the Department of Respiratory Medicine of the Maastricht University Medical Centre, The Netherlands, participated in this prospective follow-up study. Anchor-based and distribution-based methods were used to estimate the MCID. Based on the anchor Physical Quality of Life, a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) was obtained. The distribution-based methods consisted of the Effect Size and Standard Error Measurement (SEM). RESULTS: The anchor-based MCID found with ROC was 3.5. The distribution-based methods showed that the corresponding change scores in the FAS for a small effect was 4.2. The SEM criterion was 3.6 points change in the FAS. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the anchor-based and distribution-based methods, the MCID is a 4-point difference on the FAS. This MCID can be used in the follow-up of fatigue (FAS) in clinical trials and in the management of individual sarcoidosis cases.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1388-1395
Number of pages8
JournalRespiratory Medicine
Volume105
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2011

Keywords

  • Sarcoidosis
  • Minimal clinically important difference
  • Fatigue
  • Fatigue Assessment Scale
  • QUALITY-OF-LIFE
  • PATIENT-REPORTED OUTCOMES
  • HEALTH-STATUS
  • INTRAINDIVIDUAL CHANGES
  • MEANINGFUL CHANGE
  • RESPONSIVENESS
  • QUESTIONNAIRE
  • POPULATION
  • FIBROSIS
  • ANCHOR

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