Abstract
AIMS: To determine the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and its responsiveness to change in inflammatory skin diseases.
METHODS: A longitudinal study: at stage 1, patients completed the DLQI and a disease severity global question; at stage 2, a global rating of change in quality of life (QoL; Global Rating of Change Questionnaire, GRCQ) was added and used as an anchor to measure the MCID of the DLQI.
RESULTS: 192 patients completed stage 1 and 107 completed stage 2. The mean DLQI score at stage 1 was 9.8 and 7.4 at stage 2 with a mean change of 2.4 (p < 0.0001). 31 patients experienced a 'small change' in their QoL (±3 and ±2) on the GRCQ. The mean corresponding change in DLQI scores was 3.3, which is regarded as the approximate MCID.
CONCLUSIONS: Previous estimates of the MCID of the DLQI have varied from 3 to 5. Although this study demonstrated a MCID of 3.3, we recommend that the MCID in inflammatory skin diseases should be 4.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 27-33 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Dermatology in Practice |
| Volume | 230 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 20 Jan 2015 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 20 Jan 2015 |
Keywords
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Dermatology
- Female
- Humans
- Longitudinal Studies
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Quality of Life
- Skin Diseases
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Young Adult