Systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis of patient-reported outcome measures for abdominal aortic aneurysm

Editor's Choice -- European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) 2024 Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Abdominal Aorto-Iliac Artery Aneurysms

OBJECTIVE

The European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) has developed clinical practice guidelines for the care of patients with aneurysms of the abdominal aorta and iliac arteries in succession to the 2011 and 2019 versions, with the aim of assisting physicians and patients in selecting the best management strategy.

METHODS

The guideline is based on scientific evidence completed with expert opinion on the matter. By summarising and evaluating the best available evidence, recommendations for the evaluation and treatment of patients have been formulated. The recommendations are graded according to a modified European Society of Cardiology grading system, where the strength (class) of each recommendation is graded from I to III and the letters A to C mark the level of evidence.

RESULTS

A total of 160 recommendations have been issued on the following topics: Service standards, including surgical volume and training; Epidemiology, diagnosis, and screening; Management of patients with small abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), including surveillance, cardiovascular risk reduction, and indication for repair; Elective AAA repair, including operative risk assessment, open and endovascular repair, and early complications; Ruptured and symptomatic AAA, including peri-operative management, such as permissive hypotension and use of aortic occlusion balloon, open and endovascular repair, and early complications, such as abdominal compartment syndrome and colonic ischaemia; Long term outcome and follow up after AAA repair, including graft infection, endoleaks and follow up routines; Management of complex AAA, including open and endovascular repair; Management of iliac artery aneurysm, including indication for repair and open and endovascular repair; and Miscellaneous aortic problems, including mycotic, inflammatory, and saccular aortic aneurysm. In addition, Shared decision making is being addressed, with supporting information for patients, and Unresolved issues are discussed.

CONCLUSION

The ESVS Clinical Practice Guidelines provide the most comprehensive, up to date, and unbiased advice to clinicians and patients on the management of abdominal aorto-iliac artery aneurysms.

2022 ACC/AHA guideline for the diagnosis and management of aortic disease: A report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines

AIM

The "2022 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Disease" provides recommendations to guide clinicians in the diagnosis, genetic evaluation and family screening, medical therapy, endovascular and surgical treatment, and long-term surveillance of patients with aortic disease across its multiple clinical presentation subsets (ie, asymptomatic, stable symptomatic, and acute aortic syndromes).

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted from January 2021 to April 2021, encompassing studies, reviews, and other evidence conducted on human subjects that were published in English from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINHL Complete, and other selected databases relevant to this guideline. Additional relevant studies, published through June 2022 during the guideline writing process, were also considered by the writing committee, where appropriate.

STRUCTURE

Recommendations from previously published AHA/ACC guidelines on thoracic aortic disease, peripheral artery disease, and bicuspid aortic valve disease have been updated with new evidence to guide clinicians. In addition, new recommendations addressing comprehensive care for patients with aortic disease have been developed. There is added emphasis on the role of shared decision making, especially in the management of patients with aortic disease both before and during pregnancy. The is also an increased emphasis on the importance of institutional interventional volume and multidisciplinary aortic team expertise in the care of patients with aortic disease.

Characterising recovery following abdominal aortic aneurysm repair using cardiopulmonary exercise testing and patient reported outcome measures

PURPOSE

Surgery is associated with a post-operative stress response, changes in cardiopulmonary reserve, and metabolic demand. Here recovery after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is investigated using cardiopulmonary exercise testing and patient-reported questionnaires.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients undergoing open (n = 21) or endovascular (n = 21) repair undertook cardiopulmonary exercise tests, activity, and health score questionnaires pre-operatively and, 8 and 16 weeks, post-operatively. Oxygen uptake and ventilatory parameters were measured, and routine blood tests were undertaken.

RESULTS

Recovery was characterised by falls in anaerobic threshold, peak oxygen uptake, and oxygen pulse at 8 weeks which appeared to be associated with operative severity; the fall in peak oxygen uptake was greater following open vs. endovascular repair (3.5 vs. 1.6 ml^.kg^-1.min^-1) and anaerobic threshold showed a similar tendency (3.1 vs. 1.7 ml^.kg^-1.min^-1). In the smaller number of patients re-tested these changes resolved by 16 weeks. Reported health and activity did not change.

CONCLUSIONS

Aortic repair is associated with falls in the anaerobic threshold, peak oxygen uptake, and oxygen pulse of a magnitude that reflects operative severity and appears to resolve by 16 weeks. Thus, post-operatively patients may be at higher risk of further metabolic insult e.g. infection. This further characterises physiological recovery from aortic surgery and may assist in defining post-operative shielding time.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONAbdominal aortic aneurysm repair is a life-saving operation, the outcome from which is influenced by pre-operative cardiopulmonary reserve; individuals with poor reserve being at greater risk of peri-operative complications and death. However, for this operation, the physiological impact of surgery has not been studied.In a relatively small sample, this study suggests that AAA repair is associated with a significant decline in cardiopulmonary reserve when measured 8 weeks post-operatively and appears to recover by 16 weeks. Moreover, the impact may be greater in endovascular vs. open repair.

2022 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Disease: A Report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines

AIM

The "2022 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Disease" provides recommendations to guide clinicians in the diagnosis, genetic evaluation and family screening, medical therapy, endovascular and surgical treatment, and long-term surveillance of patients with aortic disease across its multiple clinical presentation subsets (ie, asymptomatic, stable symptomatic, and acute aortic syndromes).

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted from January 2021 to April 2021, encompassing studies, reviews, and other evidence conducted on human subjects that were published in English from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINHL Complete, and other selected databases relevant to this guideline. Additional relevant studies, published through June 2022 during the guideline writing process, were also considered by the writing committee, where appropriate. Structure: Recommendations from previously published AHA/ACC guidelines on thoracic aortic disease, peripheral artery disease, and bicuspid aortic valve disease have been updated with new evidence to guide clinicians. In addition, new recommendations addressing comprehensive care for patients with aortic disease have been developed. There is added emphasis on the role of shared decision making, especially in the management of patients with aortic disease both before and during pregnancy. The is also an increased emphasis on the importance of institutional interventional volume and multidisciplinary aortic team expertise in the care of patients with aortic disease.

2022 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Disease: A Report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines

AIM

The "2022 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Disease" provides recommendations to guide clinicians in the diagnosis, genetic evaluation and family screening, medical therapy, endovascular and surgical treatment, and long-term surveillance of patients with aortic disease across its multiple clinical presentation subsets (ie, asymptomatic, stable symptomatic, and acute aortic syndromes).

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted from January 2021 to April 2021, encompassing studies, reviews, and other evidence conducted on human subjects that were published in English from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINHL Complete, and other selected databases relevant to this guideline. Additional relevant studies, published through June 2022 during the guideline writing process, were also considered by the writing committee, where appropriate.

STRUCTURE

Recommendations from previously published AHA/ACC guidelines on thoracic aortic disease, peripheral artery disease, and bicuspid aortic valve disease have been updated with new evidence to guide clinicians. In addition, new recommendations addressing comprehensive care for patients with aortic disease have been developed. There is added emphasis on the role of shared decision making, especially in the management of patients with aortic disease both before and during pregnancy. The is also an increased emphasis on the importance of institutional interventional volume and multidisciplinary aortic team expertise in the care of patients with aortic disease.

MiR-30c-1-3p targets matrix metalloproteinase 9 involved in the rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Abstract

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) can be fatal if ruptured, but there is no predictive biomarker. Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic potential of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in an AAA mouse model and patients with unruptured AAA (URAAA) and ruptured AAA (RAAA). Among the 64 miRNAs differentially expressed in mice with AAA compared to control, miR-30c-1-3p, miR-432-3p, miR-3154, and miR-379-5p had high homology with human miRNAs. MiR-30c-1-3p plasma levels were significantly lower in patients with RAAA than in those with URAAA or control and tended to negatively correlate with the maximum aortic diameter (r =  −0.3153, P = 0.06109). MiR-30c-1-3p targeted matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 mRNA through the coding region and downregulated its expression in vitro. MMP-9 plasma concentrations were significantly higher in the RAAA group than in the URAAA group (P < 0.001) and were negatively associated with miR-30c-1-3p levels (r =  −0.3671, P = 0.01981) and positively–with the maximal aortic diameter (r = 0.6251, P < 0.0001). The optimal cutoff values for MMP-9 expression and the maximal aortic diameter were 461.08 ng/ml and 55.95 mm, with areas under the curve of 0.816 and 0.844, respectively. Our results indicate that plasma levels of miR-30c-1-3p and MMP-9 may be candidate biomarkers of AAA progression.

Key messages

Downregulation of miR-30c-1-3p expression and upregulation of its potential target MMP-9 are predictors of the devastation of AAA.

Downregulation of miR-30c-1-3p expression and its downstream impact on MMP-9 have a potential on predicting the development and rupture of AAA.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00109-022-02230-2.

Association of Age and Surgical Technique with the Quality of Life of Male Patients Treated for Abdominal Aorta Aneurysms: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVES. The achievement of a good health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become one of the primary objectives of medical–surgical interventions. The objective of this study is to determine the HRQoL of patients who underwent abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery and to analyse the influence of age on HRQoL. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This is an observational cross-sectional study with 151 male patients who underwent an operation for AAAs between January 2013 and December 2020 in two hospital centres. HRQoL was assessed with the Spanish version of the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36), starting in the month following the surgical intervention. Statistical analyses were performed using hypothesis tests and multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 73 years (SD: 7), and the mean interval between surgery and the interview was 37 months (SD: 27). The scores of the Physical Function (p = 0.001), Vitality (p = 0.016), Social Function (p = 0.014), and Mental Health (p = 0.007) dimensions of the SF-36 were significantly lower in the older age groups. In addition, the scores on the Physical Summary Component (p = 0.003) and the Mental Summary Component (p = 0.026) were significantly lower among individuals older than 70 years of age. The HRQoL in patients who underwent operations for AAAs was similar to that reported in the general population of Spain. Patients with an aorto-aortic shunt had better scores on the Physical Function (Beta: 10; p = 0.014) and Mental Health (Beta: 8.12; p = 0.040) dimensions than those who had an aorto-bi-iliac or bifemoral shunt, regardless of the age of the patients at operation. CONCLUSION: Among patients who underwent an operation for an AAA, there was a negative association between the age at operation and scores on the Physical Function, Vitality, Social Function, and Mental Health dimensions of the SF-36. The type of surgical technique influences the evolution of Physical Function and Mental Health scores, regardless of age.

Current status of patient-reported outcome measures in vascular surgery

A previously published review focused on generic and disease-specific patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) relevant to vascular surgery but limited to arterial conditions. The objective of this project was to identify all available PROMs relevant to diseases treated by vascular surgeons and to evaluate vascular surgeon perceptions, barriers to widespread implementation, and concerns regarding PROMs. We provide an overview of what a PROM is and how they are developed, and summarize currently available PROMs specific to vascular surgeons. We also report results from a survey of 78 Society for Vascular Surgery members serving on committees within the Policy and Advocacy Council addressing the barriers and facilitators to using PROMs in clinical practice. Finally, we report the qualitative results of two focus groups conducted to assess granular perceptions of PROMS and preparedness of vascular surgeons for widespread implementation of PROMs. These focus groups identified a lack of awareness of existing PROMs, knowledge of how PROMs are developed and validated, and clarity around how PROMs should be used by the clinician as main subthemes for barriers to PROM implementation in clinical practice.

Reporting of Clinical Outcomes After Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is an established treatment for many patients with infra-renal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Reporting standards were published in 2002 to ensure consistent measurement and reporting of outcomes following EVAR. We aimed to assess the range of clinical outcomes reported after EVAR and whether recent studies adhere to established reporting standards.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE and Embase from January 2014 until December 2018, using terms for 'EVAR' and 'AAA'. We included prospective studies and randomised controlled trials which reported clinical outcomes of elective infra-renal AAA repair. Data on clinical outcome reporting were extracted and compared with established reporting standards.

RESULTS

84 studies were included. Technical success was reported in 49 (58.3%) studies, but only defined in 40 (47.6%), with 22 distinct definitions. Clinical success was reported and defined in 19 (22.6%) studies. Aneurysm rupture was reported in 27 (32.1%) studies and death from rupture in 11 (13.1%) studies. All-cause and aneurysm-related mortality were reported in 72 (85.7%) and 52 (61.9%) studies, respectively. Endoleak type I (n = 61, 72.6%) and II (n = 52, 61.9%) were more commonly reported than type III (n = 45, 53.6%) or IV (n = 13, 15.5%). Complications and mortality were reported by a mean of 18 (21.4%) and 42 (50%) studies, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

A wide variety of clinical outcomes were reported following EVAR. Few studies adhered to reporting guidelines. We recommend modification of reporting standards to reflect advances in endovascular technology and creation of a core outcome set for EVAR.

Identification and categorisation of relevant outcomes for symptomatic uncomplicated gallstone disease: in-depth analysis to inform the development of a core outcome set

BACKGROUND

Many completed trials of interventions for uncomplicated gallstone disease are not as helpful as they could be due to lack of standardisation across studies, outcome definition, collection and reporting. This heterogeneity of outcomes across studies hampers useful synthesis of primary studies and ultimately negatively impacts on decision making by all stakeholders. Core outcome sets offer a potential solution to this problem of heterogeneity and concerns over whether the 'right' outcomes are being measured. One of the first steps in core outcome set generation is to identify the range of outcomes reported (in the literature or by patients directly) that are considered important.

OBJECTIVES

To develop a systematic map that examines the variation in outcome reporting of interventions for uncomplicated symptomatic gallstone disease, and to identify other outcomes of importance to patients with gallstones not previously measured or reported in interventional studies.

RESULTS

The literature search identified 794 potentially relevant titles and abstracts of which 137 were deemed eligible for inclusion. A total of 129 randomised controlled trials, 4 gallstone disease specific patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and 8 qualitative studies were included. This was supplemented with data from 6 individual interviews, 1 focus group (n=5 participants) and analysis of 20 consultations. A total of 386 individual recorded outcomes were identified across the combined evidence: 330 outcomes (which were reported 1147 times) from trials evaluating interventions, 22 outcomes from PROMs, 17 outcomes from existing qualitative studies and 17 outcomes from primary qualitative research. Areas of overlap between the evidence sources existed but also the primary research contributed new, unreported in this context, outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study took a rigorous approach to catalogue and map the outcomes of importance in gallstone disease to enhance the development of the COS 'long' list. A COS for uncomplicated gallstone disease that considers the views of all relevant stakeholders is needed.

Configuration of vascular services: a multiple methods research programme

Background

Vascular services is changing rapidly, having emerged as a new specialty with its own training and specialised techniques. This has resulted in the need for reconfiguration of services to provide adequate specialist provision and accessible and equitable services.

Objectives

To identify the effects of service configuration on practice, resource use and outcomes. To model potential changes in configuration. To identify and/or develop electronic data collection tools for collecting patient-reported outcome measures and other clinical information. To evaluate patient preferences for aspects of services other than health-related quality of life.

Design

This was a multiple methods study comprising multiple systematic literature reviews; the development of a new outcome measure for users of vascular services (the electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire – Vascular) based on the reviews, qualitative studies and psychometric evaluation; a trade-off exercise to measure process utilities; Hospital Episode Statistics analysis; and the development of individual disease models and a metamodel of service configuration.

Setting

Specialist vascular inpatient services in England.

Data sources

Modelling and Hospital Episode Statistics analysis for all vascular inpatients in England from 2006 to 2018. Qualitative studies and electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire – Vascular evaluation with vascular patients from the Sheffield area. The trade-off studies were based on a societal sample from across England.

Interventions

The data analysis, preference studies and modelling explored the effect of different potential arrangements for service provision on the resource use, workload and outcomes for all interventions in the three main areas of inpatient vascular treatment: peripheral arterial disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm and carotid artery disease. The electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire – Vascular was evaluated as a potential tool for clinical data collection and outcome monitoring.

Main outcome measures

Systematic reviews assessed quality and psychometric properties of published outcome measures for vascular disease and the relationship between volume and outcome in vascular services. The electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire – Vascular development considered face and construct validity, test–retest reliability and responsiveness. Models were validated using case studies from previous reconfigurations and comparisons with Hospital Episode Statistics data. Preference studies resulted in estimates of process utilities for aneurysm treatment and for travelling distances to access services.

Results

Systematic reviews provided evidence of an association between increasing volume of activity and improved outcomes for peripheral arterial disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm and carotid artery disease. Reviews of existing patient-reported outcome measures did not identify suitable condition-specific tools for incorporation in the electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire – Vascular. Reviews of qualitative evidence, primary qualitative studies and a Delphi exercise identified the issues to be incorporated into the electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire – Vascular, resulting in a questionnaire with one generic and three disease-specific domains. After initial item reduction, the final version has 55 items in eight scales and has acceptable psychometric properties. The preference studies showed strong preference for endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm treatment (willingness to trade up to 0.135 quality-adjusted life-years) and for local services (up to 0.631 quality-adjusted life-years). A simulation model with a web-based interface was developed, incorporating disease-specific models for abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease and carotid artery disease. This predicts the effects of specified reconfigurations on workload, resource use, outcomes and cost-effectiveness. Initial exploration suggested that further reconfiguration of services in England to accomplish high-volume centres would result in improved outcomes, within the bounds of cost-effectiveness usually considered acceptable in the NHS.

Limitations

The major source of evidence to populate the models was Hospital Episode Statistics data, which have limitations owing to the complexity of the data, deficiencies in the coding systems and variations in coding practice. The studies were not able to address all of the potential barriers to change where vascular services are not compliant with current NHS recommendations.

Conclusions

There is evidence of potential for improvement in the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of vascular services through further centralisation of sites where major vascular procedures are undertaken. Preferences for local services are strong, and this may be addressed through more integrated services, with a range of services being provided more locally. The use of a web-based tool for the collection of clinical data and patient-reported outcome measures is feasible and can provide outcome data for clinical use and service evaluation.

Future work

Further evaluation of the economic models in real-world situations where local vascular service reconfiguration is under consideration and of the barriers to change where vascular services do not meet NHS recommendations for service configuration is needed. Further work on the electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire – Vascular is required to assess its acceptability and usefulness in clinical practice and to develop appropriate report formats for clinical use and service evaluation. Further studies to assess the implications of including non-health-related preferences for care processes, and location of services, in calculations of cost-effectiveness are required.

Study registration

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42016042570, CRD42016042573, CRD42016042574, CRD42016042576, CRD42016042575, CRD42014014850, CRD42015023877 and CRD42015024820.

Funding

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme Grants for Applied Research programme and will be published in full in Programme Grants for Applied Research; Vol. 9, No. 5. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Health-related quality of life amongst people diagnosed with abdominal aortic aneurysm and peripheral artery disease and the effect of fenofibrate

The aims of this study were, firstly, to assess the effect of concurrent peripheral artery disease (PAD) on the health-related quality of life (QOL) of people diagnosed with a small abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA); and secondly, to test whether the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α agonist fenofibrate improved QOL of people diagnosed with a small AAA, including those diagnosed with concurrent PAD. The study included both a cross-sectional observational study and a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. 140 people diagnosed with a 35–49 mm diameter AAA, 56 (40%) of whom had concurrent PAD, and 25 healthy controls were prospectively recruited. QOL was assessed with the short form (SF) 36. Findings in participants that were diagnosed with both AAA and PAD were compared separately with those of participants that had a diagnosis of AAA alone or who had neither AAA nor PAD diagnosed (healthy controls). All participants diagnosed with an AAA were then randomly allocated to 145 mg of fenofibrate per day or identical placebo. Outcomes were assessed by changes in the domains of the SF-36 and ankle brachial pressure Index (ABPI) from randomization to 24 weeks. Data were analyzed using Mann–Whitney U tests. Participants diagnosed with both AAA and PAD had significantly worse QOL than participants diagnosed with AAA alone or healthy controls. Fenofibrate did not significantly alter SF-36 scores or ABPI over 24 weeks. Fenofibrate does not improve QOL of people diagnosed with small AAA, irrespective of whether they have concurrent PAD.

Trial registration: ACTN12613001039774 Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry.

Mixed methods study to develop the content validity and the conceptual framework of the electronic patient-reported outcome measure for vascular conditions

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper is to describe the stages undertaken to generate the items and conceptual framework of a new electronic personal assessment questionnaire for vascular conditions.

DESIGN

A mixed methods study: First a survey of vascular clinicians was completed to identify the most common conditions treated in vascular clinics and wards. Quantitative systematic reviews were done to identify validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for direct inclsuion in the new instrument. However, due to scarcity of validated PROMs, the items of the new instrument were mainly based on a large qualitative study of patients and systematic reviews of the qualitative evidence . This was followed by a quantitative clinicians' consensus study and, finally, a qualitative face validity study with patients.

PARTICIPANTS

Vascular patients participated in the primary qualitative study and the face validity study. In the qualitative study, 55 patients were interviewed, and for the face validity, 19 patients gave feedback. Twelve clinicians completed the survey and 13 completed two cycles of the clinicians' consensus study.

RESULTS

The items and scales in the electronic personal assessment questionnaire for vascular conditions (ePAQ-VAS) were generated based on the results of five systematic reviews evaluating existing PROMs for possible inclusion in ePAQ-VAS, five systematic reviews of qualitative evidence, a primary qualitative study involving 55 patients and clinicians' input. One hundred and sixty-eight items were initially generated, of which 59 were eliminated by the expert panel due to repetition. The instrument was divided into one generic and three disease-specific sections (abdominal aortic aneurysm, carotid artery disease and lower limb vascular conditions). In each section, items were grouped together into putative scales. Fifty-five items were grouped across eight scales; the remaining items were kept as individual items, because of relevance to service users.

CONCLUSIONS

This multidimensional electronic questionnaire covers the most common vascular conditions. This is particularly important for patients presenting with mixed symptoms or multiple conditions. This tool captures symptomatology, health related quality of life (HRQoL) and other clinically relevant data, such as experience with services and comorbidities.

Electronic personal assessment questionnaire for vascular conditions (ePAQ-VAS): development and validity

Background

This paper describes the development and validation of an electronic personal assessment questionnaire for vascular conditions (ePAQ-VAS) that captures the symptomatology, quality of life and clinically relevant data of patients presenting to vascular services.

Methods

A two-stage survey was conducted in patients attending a tertiary vascular department. Patients completed the ePAQ-VAS remotely online, or on site using an electronic tablet. In the first stage of the survey, the responses were used to perform confirmatory factor analysis to assess the construct validity and remove redundant items. The internal reliability of disease-specific scales was investigated. In the second stage of the survey, the acceptability, known-group validity, test–retest reliability, and responsiveness of ePAQ-VAS was assessed.

Results

In total, 721 patients completed ePAQ-VAS. Their mean(s.d.) age was 63·5(15·7) years and 468 (64·9 per cent) were men. Some 553 patients (76·7 per cent) completed the questionnaire in clinic and the remainder completed the questionnaire online. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the conceptual model for ePAQ-VAS structure and eliminated six items. Internal reliability was acceptable for all the scales (Cronbach's α greater than 0·7). The test–retest reliability measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0·65 to 0·99. The results showed that the instrument was responsive over time with the standardized response mean ranging from 0·69 to 1·60.

Conclusion

ePAQ-VAS is a holistic data-collection process that is relevant to vascular service users and has potential to contribute to patient-focused care and the collection of aggregate data for service evaluation. A demonstration version of the final version of ePAQ can be viewed at http://demo-questionnaire.epaq.co.uk/home/project?id=VASC_1.7&page=1.

Systematic review assessing the measurement properties of patient-reported outcomes for venous leg ulcers

Background

A variety of instruments have been used to assess outcomes for patients with venous leg ulcers. This study sought to identify, evaluate and recommend the most appropriate patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) for English‐speaking patients with venous leg ulcers.

Methods

This systematic review used a two‐stage search approach. Electronic searches of major databases including MEDLINE were completed in October 2015, and then updated in July 2016. Additional studies were identified from citation checking. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were undertaken independently by at least two reviewers. Evaluation and summary of measurement properties of identified PROMs were done using standard and adapted study‐relevant criteria.

Results

Ten studies with data for four generic PROMS and six condition‐specific measures were identified. No generic PROM showed adequate content and criterion validity; however, the EuroQoL Five Dimensions (EQ‐5D™), Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and 12‐item Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐12®) had good acceptability. In general, the EQ‐5D™ showed poor responsiveness in patients with venous leg ulcers. Most condition‐specific PROMs demonstrated poor criterion and construct validity. Overall, there was some evidence of internal consistency for the Venous Leg Ulcer Quality of Life (VLU‐QoL) and the Sheffield Preference‐based Venous Ulcer questionnaire (SPVU‐5D). Test–retest reliability was satisfactory for the Venous Leg Ulcer Self‐Efficacy Tool (VeLUSET).

Conclusion

The NHP and VLU‐QoL questionnaire seemed the most suitable PROMs for use by clinicians. However, a valid condition‐specific PROM is still required.

The patients' experience of a bladder cancer diagnosis: a systematic review of the qualitative evidence

Purpose

Bladder cancer (BC) is a common disease with disparate treatment options and variable outcomes. Despite the disease’s high prevalence, little is known of the lived experience of affected patients. National patient experience surveys suggest that those with BC have poorer experiences than those with other common cancers. The aim of this review is to identify first-hand accounts of the lived experiences of diagnosis through to survivorship.

Method

This is a systematic review of the qualitative evidence reporting first-hand accounts of the experiences of being diagnosed with, treated for and surviving bladder cancer. A thematic analysis and ‘best-fit’ framework synthesis was undertaken to classify these experiences.

Results

The inconsistent nature of symptoms contributes to delays in diagnosis. Post-diagnosis, many patients are not actively engaged in the treatment decision-making process and rely on their doctor’s expertise. This can result in patients not adequately exploring the consequences of these decisions. Learning how to cope with a ‘post-surgery body’, changing sexuality and incontinence are distressing. Much less is known about the quality of life of patients receiving conservative treatments such as Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG).

Conclusions

The review contributes to a greater understanding of the lived experience of bladder cancer. Findings reflect a paucity of relevant literature and a need to develop more sensitive patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and incorporate patient-reported outcomes in BC care pathways.

Implications for cancer survivors

Collective knowledge of the patients’ self-reported experience of the cancer care pathway will facilitate understanding of the outcomes following treatment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11764-017-0603-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.