Clinical meaning in skin-specific quality of life instruments: a comparison of the Dermatology Life Quality Index and Skindex banding systems

Anna Rogers; Laura K DeLong; Suephy C Chen

doi:10.1016/j.det.2011.11.010

Clinical meaning in skin-specific quality of life instruments: a comparison of the Dermatology Life Quality Index and Skindex banding systems

Dermatol Clin. 2012 Apr;30(2):333-42, x. doi: 10.1016/j.det.2011.11.010.

Authors

Anna Rogers¹, Laura K DeLong, Suephy C Chen

Affiliation

¹ Department of Dermatology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1648 Pierce Drive, NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.

PMID: 22284147
DOI: 10.1016/j.det.2011.11.010

Abstract

Clinical meaning can be assigned to scores of health status measures by using a variety of approaches. The anchor-based approach involves determining the difference on a quality of life (QOL) scale that corresponds to a self-reported small but important change on a global scale given concomitantly, which serves as an independent anchor. This article focuses on the anchor-based banding approach and reviews methods to assign clinical meaning to QOL measures, specifically the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Skindex. This article also includes pilot data that compares the DLQI and Skindex using these previously validated banding systems.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Review

MeSH terms

Dermatology
Health Status*
Humans
Quality of Life*
Skin Diseases / psychology*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Treatment Outcome