Analysis of two questionnaires on quality of life of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease patients.
Ana Folch Ayora, Loreto Macia Soler, Agueda Cervera Gasch
PMID 31340341WHAT IT FOUND
A short COPD quality-of-life questionnaire (CAT) matched the longer SGRQ in hospitalized exacerbations and caught cough and sputum more clearly.
It can be used for patient assessment, but it does not show better outcomes.
Key findings
01In hospitalized patients with severe COPD exacerbation, CAT and SGRQ scores were related, strongly for the global score, activity, and impact, and moderately for symptoms.
02Both questionnaires showed consistent internal answers in this sample, with Cronbach's alpha 0.843 for SGRQ and 0.799 for CAT.
03The two questionnaires gave similar total scores for the same patients, but cough and sputum were significantly associated with CAT and not with SGRQ.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional and not designed to verify whether the questionnaires predict outcomes or improve care. Only baseline data were used; follow-up data were not analysed because the larger education program could confuse the comparison. The study did not measure questionnaire completion time, so the time difference between CAT and SGRQ is not a result of this sample. The sample came from one hospital and was mostly male and older, with severe exacerbations, so it may not fit all COPD patients. 153 of 156 eligible patients were analysed, and incomplete questionnaire items were mentioned as a reason for exclusion.
Declared interests
The work was supported by Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica (SEPAR), Spain, grant #191/2013. No other conflict-of-interest statement is provided in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that CAT is proven better than SGRQ for all COPD patients or that using it improves outcomes. The study compared baseline associations in one hospital sample and did not test retest reliability or effectiveness; it showed correlation, agreement, and better detection of cough and sputum only.