Vol 9, No 4 (2003)
Research paper
Published online: 2003-09-26
The comparison of quality of life assessment, and severity of clinical symptoms in patients with chronic venous insufficiency. Can one universal questionnaire to assess quality of life be suitable for all patients?
Acta Angiologica 2003;9(4):191-199.
Abstract
Background. The assessment of the quality of life (QoL) questionnaire based
on patients’ opinions and preferences, and to estimate whether QoL of patients
with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) should be assessed in the universal manner,
or in the way depending on the progression of the disease, were the aims of the
study.
Material and methods. Eighty patients with C-2, -3, -4, and -6 according to CEAP classification were estimating their QoL by means of ques-tionnaire assessing: physical complaints, influence of the disease on patient’s activity, and psychological aspects of the disability. Patients were asked to evaluate the severity of each problem, as well as its subjective importance. It was also analyzed whether consideration of severity of each problem, as well as its importance for the patient, instead of the presence or absence of the problem, will result in different final assessment.
Results. The statistically significant correlation was revealed between the intensity of majority of the problems and the class of CVI. However, if the subjective importance of the complaint were regarded, the final score would be significant value only for some problems. It was also demonstrated that patients from different classes of CVI did not found the same clinical problems equally important. The final score of QoL assessment depended on the method of evaluation of the questionnaire, these differences however were not statistically significant.
Conclusions. It was revealed that a QoL questionnaire presented in this study can be used in the patients with CVI. Different subjective values of clinical problems for the patient with CVI at different clinical stages of the disease were demonstrated. It was not definitively answered whether specific questionnaires for different classes of CVI were necessary. The further studies of this diagnostic tool and its verification in the clinical practice are required.
Material and methods. Eighty patients with C-2, -3, -4, and -6 according to CEAP classification were estimating their QoL by means of ques-tionnaire assessing: physical complaints, influence of the disease on patient’s activity, and psychological aspects of the disability. Patients were asked to evaluate the severity of each problem, as well as its subjective importance. It was also analyzed whether consideration of severity of each problem, as well as its importance for the patient, instead of the presence or absence of the problem, will result in different final assessment.
Results. The statistically significant correlation was revealed between the intensity of majority of the problems and the class of CVI. However, if the subjective importance of the complaint were regarded, the final score would be significant value only for some problems. It was also demonstrated that patients from different classes of CVI did not found the same clinical problems equally important. The final score of QoL assessment depended on the method of evaluation of the questionnaire, these differences however were not statistically significant.
Conclusions. It was revealed that a QoL questionnaire presented in this study can be used in the patients with CVI. Different subjective values of clinical problems for the patient with CVI at different clinical stages of the disease were demonstrated. It was not definitively answered whether specific questionnaires for different classes of CVI were necessary. The further studies of this diagnostic tool and its verification in the clinical practice are required.
Keywords: CEAP classificationchronic venous insufficiencyquality of life