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Comparison between a general and a disease‐specific health‐related quality‐of‐life questionnaire in patients after pancreatic surgery
Author(s) -
Scheingraber Stefan,
Scheingraber Tanja,
Brauckhoff Michael,
Dralle Henning
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of hepato‐biliary‐pancreatic surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.63
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1868-6982
pISSN - 0944-1166
DOI - 10.1007/s00534-005-0973-4
Subject(s) - medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , population , comorbidity , sf 36 , disease , health related quality of life , nursing , environmental health
Background/Purpose The aim of this study was to compare the short‐form (SF‐) 36 as a general instrument and the gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI) as a disease‐specific instrument in patients after pancreatic surgery. Methods The questionnaires were sent to patients receiving pancreatic surgery over a time period of three years. Patients were compared with a normal population completing the SF‐36 or reported normal‐population values for the GIQLI. Agreement between the instruments was analyzed using Bland Altman plots. Results A total of 98 patients were included, most of them undergoing a Whipple procedure (86%). The most frequent complaints were meteorism, obstipation, stool urgency, and stress incontinence in 9% of the patients. Whereas in almost every domain of the SF‐36 the HRQL was impaired in comparison to the normal population, the GIQLI showed differences in only the domain emotions. Neither the SF‐36 nor the GIQLI was different between patients with early and advanced cancer stages. The SF‐36 had no agreement with the GIQLI. Conclusions The results of HRQL studies depend on the instruments which were used. Whereas a general instrument may detect factors such as comorbidity more accurately, disease‐specific instruments have the advantage of better clinical interpretability.