A new measure to assess asthma's effect on quality of life from the patient's perspective

Abstract

A-IQOLS provides a reliable, valid, and unique assessment of the patient-perceived negative effect of asthma on QoL that is suitable for use in asthma clinical research and potentially in clinical care. Further studies are needed in diverse patient populations. QOLS, a measure of current QoL, is less sensitive to disease status changes but might be useful in characterizing study populations, in treatment adherence research, and as a clinical and research tool in patients with multiple, severe, and/or life-limiting chronic conditions.

Performance of the Asthma Impact on Quality of Life Scale (A-IQOLS) in diverse asthma research populations and demographic subgroups

“…AQOLIS participants had persistent asthma (treatment steps 2–6), without regard to level of asthma control. 2 DASH targeted obese patients with poorly-controlled asthma and CPAP targeted patients with stable asthma and airway reactivity, without regard to treatment step. BTR study participants had severe asthma, defined as asthma that was uncontrolled despite high dose inhaled corticosteroids plus LABA and/or other asthma controller medications (i.e., step 5 or 6 anti-asthma treatment), and were approved to undergo bronchial thermoplasty.…”

“…The A-IQOLS 2 was self-administered by patients, requiring less than 5 minutes (typically, 3–4). It asks: “Over the past four weeks, how much did your asthma negatively affect your life in each of the following areas?” Respondents were instructed to “Consider the effects of the asthma itself, the asthma medications you use, and anything you did to avoid, treat, or get medical care for asthma symptoms.” Ratings were obtained on each of 16 life dimensions, 13,14 on a 5-point, unidirectional Likert-type scale: 1, No negative effect at all; 2, Slightly negative effect; 3, Moderately negative effect; 4, Very negative effect; and 5, Extremely negative effect.…”

“…All standardized asthma outcome measures were scored and scaled using their published algorithms: ACT, 9 ASUI, 15 Marks AQLQ, 16 Juniper AQLQ, 11,17,18 and A-IQOLS. 2…”

“…The Asthma Impact on Quality of Life Scale (A-IQOLS) asks patients to rate the negative effect of their asthma on each of 16 research-based dimensions of quality of life on a 5-point scale. 2 A-IQOLS summary scores (the average of the dimension ratings) are interpretable on the original rating scale. In the AQOLIS test-retest study, A-IQOLS has strong content, convergent and divergent validity, and its standard error of measurement (SEM) was determined to be ±0.27.…”

Influence of allergen immunotherapy on the quality of life in patients with asthma, allergic rhinitis and insect venom allergy

“…Dla lepszego zrozumienia negatywnego postrzegania przez pacjenta wpływu choroby na jakość jego życia tworzone są nowe, potencjalnie bardziej obiecujące narzędzia oceny (Asthma Impact on Quality of Life Scale -A-IQOLS) [63].…”