PURPOSE: To compare the validity, reliability and responsiveness of a single, global quality of life question to multi-item scales. METHOD: Data were obtained from 83 consecutive patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma undergoing either transhiatal or transthoracic oesophagectomy. Quality of life was measured at baseline, 5 weeks, 3 and 12 months post-operatively with a single-item Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 100, the multi-item Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-20 (MOS SF-20) and Rotterdam Symptom Check-List (RSCL). Convergent and discriminant validity, test-retest reliability and both distribution-based and anchor-based responsiveness were evaluated. MAJOR FINDINGS: At baseline and at 5 weeks, the VAS showed high correlations with the MOS SF-20 health perceptions scale (r = 0.70 and 0.72) and moderate to high correlations with all other subscales of the MOS SF-20 and RSCL (r = 0.29-0.70). The test-retest reliability intra-class correlation for the VAS was 0.87. At 5 weeks post-operatively, the distribution-based responsiveness was moderate for the VAS (standardised response mean: -0.47; effect size: -0.56), high for the physical subscales of the MOS SF-20 and RSCL (-1.08 to -1.51) and low for the psychological subscales (0.11 to -0.25). Five weeks post-operatively, anchor-based responsiveness was highest for the VAS (r = 0.54). CONCLUSION: The VAS is an instrument with good validity, excellent reliability, moderate distribution-based responsiveness and good anchor-based responsiveness compared to multi-item questionnaires. Its use is recommended in clinical trials to assess global quality of life.
%0 Journal Article
%1 citeulike:218156
%A de Boer, A. G.
%A van Lanschot, J. J.
%A Stalmeier, P. F.
%A van Sandick, J. W.
%A Hulscher, J. B.
%A de Haes, J. C.
%A Sprangers, M. A.
%C Department of Medical Psychology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.g.deboer@amc.uva.nl
%D 2004
%J Qual Life Res
%K cr critical analogue vas validity scale visual qol
%N 2
%P 311--320
%T Is a single-item visual analogue scale as valid, reliable and responsive as multi-item scales in measuring quality of life?
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15085903
%V 13
%X PURPOSE: To compare the validity, reliability and responsiveness of a single, global quality of life question to multi-item scales. METHOD: Data were obtained from 83 consecutive patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma undergoing either transhiatal or transthoracic oesophagectomy. Quality of life was measured at baseline, 5 weeks, 3 and 12 months post-operatively with a single-item Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 100, the multi-item Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-20 (MOS SF-20) and Rotterdam Symptom Check-List (RSCL). Convergent and discriminant validity, test-retest reliability and both distribution-based and anchor-based responsiveness were evaluated. MAJOR FINDINGS: At baseline and at 5 weeks, the VAS showed high correlations with the MOS SF-20 health perceptions scale (r = 0.70 and 0.72) and moderate to high correlations with all other subscales of the MOS SF-20 and RSCL (r = 0.29-0.70). The test-retest reliability intra-class correlation for the VAS was 0.87. At 5 weeks post-operatively, the distribution-based responsiveness was moderate for the VAS (standardised response mean: -0.47; effect size: -0.56), high for the physical subscales of the MOS SF-20 and RSCL (-1.08 to -1.51) and low for the psychological subscales (0.11 to -0.25). Five weeks post-operatively, anchor-based responsiveness was highest for the VAS (r = 0.54). CONCLUSION: The VAS is an instrument with good validity, excellent reliability, moderate distribution-based responsiveness and good anchor-based responsiveness compared to multi-item questionnaires. Its use is recommended in clinical trials to assess global quality of life.
@article{citeulike:218156,
abstract = {PURPOSE: To compare the validity, reliability and responsiveness of a single, global quality of life question to multi-item scales. METHOD: Data were obtained from 83 consecutive patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma undergoing either transhiatal or transthoracic oesophagectomy. Quality of life was measured at baseline, 5 weeks, 3 and 12 months post-operatively with a single-item Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 100, the multi-item Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-20 (MOS SF-20) and Rotterdam Symptom Check-List (RSCL). Convergent and discriminant validity, test-retest reliability and both distribution-based and anchor-based responsiveness were evaluated. MAJOR FINDINGS: At baseline and at 5 weeks, the VAS showed high correlations with the MOS SF-20 health perceptions scale (r = 0.70 and 0.72) and moderate to high correlations with all other subscales of the MOS SF-20 and RSCL (r = 0.29-0.70). The test-retest reliability intra-class correlation for the VAS was 0.87. At 5 weeks post-operatively, the distribution-based responsiveness was moderate for the VAS (standardised response mean: -0.47; effect size: -0.56), high for the physical subscales of the MOS SF-20 and RSCL (-1.08 to -1.51) and low for the psychological subscales (0.11 to -0.25). Five weeks post-operatively, anchor-based responsiveness was highest for the VAS (r = 0.54). CONCLUSION: The VAS is an instrument with good validity, excellent reliability, moderate distribution-based responsiveness and good anchor-based responsiveness compared to multi-item questionnaires. Its use is recommended in clinical trials to assess global quality of life.},
added-at = {2007-02-16T15:24:54.000+0100},
address = {Department of Medical Psychology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.g.deboer@amc.uva.nl},
author = {de Boer, A. G. and van Lanschot, J. J. and Stalmeier, P. F. and van Sandick, J. W. and Hulscher, J. B. and de Haes, J. C. and Sprangers, M. A.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/20a0bcfa9e5fc564d8afae3c45450d5fd/willwade},
citeulike-article-id = {218156},
interhash = {6cbc8c685c21a27b1dc3698a4a18c848},
intrahash = {0a0bcfa9e5fc564d8afae3c45450d5fd},
issn = {0962-9343},
journal = {Qual Life Res},
keywords = {cr critical analogue vas validity scale visual qol},
month = {March},
number = 2,
pages = {311--320},
priority = {2},
timestamp = {2007-02-16T15:24:59.000+0100},
title = {Is a single-item visual analogue scale as valid, reliable and responsive as multi-item scales in measuring quality of life?},
url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve\&db=pubmed\&dopt=Abstract\&list_uids=15085903},
volume = 13,
year = 2004
}