Short Health Scale: a valid and reliable measure of quality of life in Dutch speaking patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Objectives: Patient reported outcomes are widely used in today’s clinical practice. The Short Health Scale has been proven to be an easy-to-use and reliable measure to evaluate quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We aimed to validate this Short Health Scale in Dutch speaking patients.

Methods: A total of 157 Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis patients (46% male, median age 39 years) completed the Short Health Scale on a tablet during the outpatient clinic. Validity was assessed by correlating both individual and total Short Health Scale scores with short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire dimensions and clinical disease activity. Test-retest reliability was assessed in eight patients in stable remission who completed the Short Health Scale a second time after 4–8 weeks.

Results: All Short Health Scale items correlated with corresponding short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire dimensions (correlation coefficients ranging from −0.403 to −0.833, all p < .01). Short Health Scale scores increased stepwise with increasing clinical disease activity (all p < .001). The results of the Short Health Scale questionnaire remained stable on repeated measurements in patients in remission (r_s between 0.699 and 0.994, all p < .01 except for well-being).

Conclusions: The Short health Scale is a rapid and valid instrument for measuring quality of life in Dutch speaking patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Its simplicity and usability make it a good candidate for routine care and suitable for home-monitoring of patients.

Keywords:

• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Crohn’s disease
• ulcerative colitis
• quality of life
• Short Health Scale

Additional information

Funding

Séverine Vermeire reports financial support for research: MSD, AbbVie, Takeda, Pfizer, J&J; Lecture fee(s): MSD, AbbVie, Takeda, Ferring, Centocor, Hospira, Pfizer, J&J, Genentech/Roche; Consultancy: MSD, AbbVie, Takeda, Ferring, Centocor, Hospira, Pfizer, J&J, Genentech/Roche, Celgene, Mundipharma, Celltrion, SecondGenome, Prometheus, Shire, Prodigest, Gilead, Galapagos, MRM Health. Marc Ferrante reports research grants from Janssen, Pfizer, Takeda; Consultancy: Abbvie, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Celltrion, Ferring, Janssen, Lilly, Mitsubishi Tanabe, MSD, Pfizer, Takeda; Speakers fee: Abbvie, Amgen, Biogen, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Chiesi, Falk, Ferring, Janssen, Lamepro, Mitsubishi Tanabe, MSD, Pfizer, Takeda, Tramedico, Tillotts, Zeria. Kris Vanhaecht reports a research grant from Zimmer Biomet and Zorgnet Icuro and receives lecture fees from Zimmer Biomet. Gert Van Assche reports financial support for research from Abbott and Ferring Pharmaceuticals; lecture fees from Janssen, MSD and Abbott; consultancy fees from PDL BioPharma, UCB Pharma, Sanofi-Aventis, Abbott, Abbvie, Ferring, Novartis, Biogen Idec, Janssen Biologics, NovoNordisk, Zealand Pharma A/S, Millenium/Takeda, Shire, Novartis and Bristol Mayer Squibb.