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Computerised paediatric asthma quality of life questionnaires in routine care

¹ Kathy and Lee Graub Cystic Fibrosis Center and Pulmonary Unit, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva, Israel
² Department of Psychological Medicine, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tikva, Israel

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Hannah Blau
Pulmonary Unit, Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel, 14 Kaplan St, Petah Tikva 49202, Israel;hblau{at}post.tau.ac.il

Background: Asthma quality of life questionnaires are not readily incorporated into clinical care. We therefore computerised the Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (standardised) (PAQLQ(S)) and the Paediatric Asthma Caregivers Quality of Life Questionnaire (PACQLQ), with a colour-coded printed graphical report.

Objectives: To (a) assess the feasibility of the electronic questionnaires in clinical care and (b) compare the child’s PAQLQ scores with the parent’s score, physician’s clinical score and spirometry.

Methods: Children with asthma were given a clinical severity score of 1–4 (increasing severity) and then completed the PAQLQ(S) electronically (scores 1–7 for increasing quality of life in emotional, symptoms and activity limitation domains) followed by spirometry and physician review. Parents completed the PACQLQ. Inclusion criteria required fluent Hebrew and reliable performance of spirometry. Children with additional chronic diseases were excluded.

Results: 147 children with asthma aged 7–17 years completed PAQLQs and 115 accompanying parents completed PACQLQs, taking 8.3 (4.3–15) and 4.4 (1.5–12.7) min, respectively (mean (range)). Graphical reports enabled physicians to address quality of life during even brief visits. Children’s (PAQLQ) and parents’ (PACQLQ) total scores correlated (r = 0.61, p<0.001), although the children’s median emotional score of 6.3 was higher than their parents’ 5.7 (p<0.001), whereas median activity limitation score was lower than their parents’: 5.0 and 6.8, respectively (p<0.001). No correlation was found with physician’s clinical score or spirometry.

Conclusions: Electronic PAQLQs are easy to use, providing additional insight to spirometry and physician’s assessment, in routine asthma care. Future studies must assess impact on asthma management.

Abbreviations: PACQLQ, Paediatric Asthma Caregivers Quality of Life Questionnaire; PAQLQ(S), Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (standardised)

Keywords: asthma; quality of life; questionnaire; electronic; computerised

Relevant Article

A brief digest of the August issue
Arch. Dis. Child. 2007 92: e8. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]