Recall of health-related quality of life: how does memory affect the SF-6D in patients with psoriasis or multiple sclerosis? A prospective observational study in Germany

Objective This study aimed to quantify recall bias in the measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), that is, the extent to which recollection is impaired and leads to distorted judgements.Design Prospective observational study.Setting and participants One hundred patients with two parad...

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Main Authors: Matthias Augustin, Christoph Heesen, Janine Topp, Valerie Andrees, Christine Blome
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-11-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/11/e032859.full
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author Matthias Augustin
Christoph Heesen
Janine Topp
Valerie Andrees
Christine Blome
author_facet Matthias Augustin
Christoph Heesen
Janine Topp
Valerie Andrees
Christine Blome
author_sort Matthias Augustin
collection DOAJ
description Objective This study aimed to quantify recall bias in the measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), that is, the extent to which recollection is impaired and leads to distorted judgements.Design Prospective observational study.Setting and participants One hundred patients with two paradigmatic chronic diseases (50 with multiple sclerosis and 50 with psoriasis) were recruited at two outpatient clinics.Methods and outcome measures Patients completed the online version of the 12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12) repeatedly for 28 consecutive days: (1) daily, considering the past 24 hours; (2) weekly, considering the past 7 days; and (3) on the last day of data collection, considering the past 4 weeks. SF-12 scores for all three measurement approaches were subsequently converted into preference-based utility indices (Short-Form Six-Dimension). Agreement of the three indices was analysed on group and individual patient levels.Results The mean age of participants was 40.3 years (±12.0), and 63% were female. The utility index based on daily recall (0.74±0.13) was more positive than indices based on a weekly (0.70±0.13, p<0.001) or a monthly (0.70±0.14, p<0.001) recall. While agreement of measurement approaches was high on group level (intraclass correlation coefficient>0.85), it was lower for the subgroup of patients experiencing high variability of HRQoL over time. Bland-Altman plots revealed considerable differences on individual patient level.Conclusions On the group level, retrospective overestimation and underestimation of HRQoL almost cancelled out one another and recall bias was relatively small. Therefore, a 4-week recall period could be appropriate when group-level data are used for research or economic evaluations. In contrast, recall bias can be considerable on the individual patient level and may thus impact decision-making in clinical practice.Trial registration number VfD_RECALL_16_003837.
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spelling doaj-art-bf3120f9e61742739ca6e1b8872303252024-11-29T16:10:12ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-11-0191110.1136/bmjopen-2019-032859Recall of health-related quality of life: how does memory affect the SF-6D in patients with psoriasis or multiple sclerosis? A prospective observational study in GermanyMatthias Augustin0Christoph Heesen1Janine Topp2Valerie Andrees3Christine Blome4Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany1 Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, GermanyInstitute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany1 Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, GermanyObjective This study aimed to quantify recall bias in the measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), that is, the extent to which recollection is impaired and leads to distorted judgements.Design Prospective observational study.Setting and participants One hundred patients with two paradigmatic chronic diseases (50 with multiple sclerosis and 50 with psoriasis) were recruited at two outpatient clinics.Methods and outcome measures Patients completed the online version of the 12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12) repeatedly for 28 consecutive days: (1) daily, considering the past 24 hours; (2) weekly, considering the past 7 days; and (3) on the last day of data collection, considering the past 4 weeks. SF-12 scores for all three measurement approaches were subsequently converted into preference-based utility indices (Short-Form Six-Dimension). Agreement of the three indices was analysed on group and individual patient levels.Results The mean age of participants was 40.3 years (±12.0), and 63% were female. The utility index based on daily recall (0.74±0.13) was more positive than indices based on a weekly (0.70±0.13, p<0.001) or a monthly (0.70±0.14, p<0.001) recall. While agreement of measurement approaches was high on group level (intraclass correlation coefficient>0.85), it was lower for the subgroup of patients experiencing high variability of HRQoL over time. Bland-Altman plots revealed considerable differences on individual patient level.Conclusions On the group level, retrospective overestimation and underestimation of HRQoL almost cancelled out one another and recall bias was relatively small. Therefore, a 4-week recall period could be appropriate when group-level data are used for research or economic evaluations. In contrast, recall bias can be considerable on the individual patient level and may thus impact decision-making in clinical practice.Trial registration number VfD_RECALL_16_003837.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/11/e032859.full
spellingShingle Matthias Augustin
Christoph Heesen
Janine Topp
Valerie Andrees
Christine Blome
Recall of health-related quality of life: how does memory affect the SF-6D in patients with psoriasis or multiple sclerosis? A prospective observational study in Germany
BMJ Open
title Recall of health-related quality of life: how does memory affect the SF-6D in patients with psoriasis or multiple sclerosis? A prospective observational study in Germany
title_full Recall of health-related quality of life: how does memory affect the SF-6D in patients with psoriasis or multiple sclerosis? A prospective observational study in Germany
title_fullStr Recall of health-related quality of life: how does memory affect the SF-6D in patients with psoriasis or multiple sclerosis? A prospective observational study in Germany
title_full_unstemmed Recall of health-related quality of life: how does memory affect the SF-6D in patients with psoriasis or multiple sclerosis? A prospective observational study in Germany
title_short Recall of health-related quality of life: how does memory affect the SF-6D in patients with psoriasis or multiple sclerosis? A prospective observational study in Germany
title_sort recall of health related quality of life how does memory affect the sf 6d in patients with psoriasis or multiple sclerosis a prospective observational study in germany
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/11/e032859.full
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