QUALITY OF LIFE ASSESSMENT AFTER PULMONARY EMBOLISM: VALIDATION OF THE PORTUGUESE VERSON OF THE PULMONARY EMBOLISM QUALITY OF LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE

TOPIC: Pulmonary Vascular Disease TYPE: Original Investigations PURPOSE: Pulmonary embolism (PE) reduces quality of life (QoL) and has a high impact on morbidity, mortality, and costs of care. The Pulmonary Embolism Quality of Life (PEmb-QoL) questionnaire was originally developed in Dutch and English and validated in several languages. It has been used to quantify disease specific QoL in clinical studies of patients with PE. This study aimed to prospectively validate the psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of the PEmb-QoL questionnaire. METHODS: The PEmb-Qol questionnaire and SF-36 forms were asked to complete after appointment or were contacted by telephone or by email. Two weeks after the first response, participants were contacted at same way to respond both questionnaires for the second time. Participants who returned an incomplete questionnaire were contacted by telephone to complete all missing items. RESULTS: QoL was assessed in 123 consecutive out-patients with a history of objectively confirmed PE (median age 53; ranging from 19 to 88 years; 51% females), using the generic Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the disease specific PEmb-QoL. The Portuguese version of the PEmb-QoL showed good internal consistency (Crohnbach's alpha: 0.73 -0.95), inter-item correlations (0.83-0.93), and item-total correlations (0.63-0.83). Test-retest reliability was also good (0.79–0.86). Good correlations between PEmb-QoL and SF-36 dimensions, and low correlations between PEmb-QoL and clinical characteristics supported convergent and discriminant validity. Exploratory factor analysis suggested five underlying dimensions: work-related problems, daily activity limitations, emotional complaints and frequency and intensity of complaints. This is the first time that the PEmb-Qol questionnaire was validated in a country of Latin America. CONCLUSIONS: Although the measurement properties of quality-of-life questionnaires adapted for different populations may differ from each other due to different translational, cultural and methodological factors, the Portuguese version of the PEMb-Qol meets the appropriate criteria of reliability and validity to assess the quality of life after PE. This questionnaire may identify patients with impaired health perception caused by PE. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The Portuguese version of the PEmb questionnaire is valid and reliable for use as a measure of quality of life and symptoms in patients with PE. It provides a good tool to allow more comprehensive evaluation of outcomes in clinical trials and may identify patients with impaired health perception caused by PE. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Bianca de Souza Corrêa, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by José Eduardo, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Ana Clara Mesquita, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Carolina Shiguedomi, source=Web Response no disclosure on file for Ana Silvia Sartori B.S. Ferreira; No relevant relationships by Glaucia Tiago, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Hugo Yoo, source=Web Response