Psychometric testing of the health-related quality of life measurement, SF-36v2, in the general population of Thailand

Health-related quality of life and willingness to pay measurement among patients on warfarin in Thailand

BACKGROUND

Complex dosage regimens and the high incidence of adverse events associated with warfarin therapy can affect the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and willingness to pay (WTP) among patients on warfarin. No such previous study has been conducted to assess the HRQoL and WTP among Thai patients on warfarin; therefore, this study aimed to measure these parameters and identify some sociodemographic factors associated with those aspects among patients on warfarin in Thailand.

METHODS

This cross-sectional survey study involving 260 patients on warfarin between June 2022 and June 2023 used a quantitative method for data collection. Face-to-face interviews with well-trained interviewers were conducted and patients were required to complete the questionnaires of both World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and EQ-5D-5L to assess and measure their HRQoL levels. WTP was assessed using a bidding game technique. Descriptive statistics with mean and standard deviations were used to report HRQoL scores and WTP, whereas a generalized linear model was employed to identify factors associated with both HRQoL and WTP.

RESULTS

The mean EQ-5D index and mean EQ-VAS score were 0.89 ± 0.15 and 76.92 ± 15.95, respectively, whereas the mean WHOQOL-BREF domain scores were 59.18 ± 14.13, 68.56 ± 15.47, 59.13 ± 19.64, and 65.23 ± 14.04 for the physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains, respectively. Elderly participants (age > 60 years) and those with comorbidities had lower HRQoL scores than their counterparts. The mean WTP was 22.25 ± 32.19 USD for one patient's visit. The presence of comorbidities was the only factor significantly associated with WTP values.

CONCLUSIONS

Thai patients on warfarin have lower mean EQ-5D indexes and EQ-VAS scores than members of the general Thai population. Patients on warfarin with comorbidities have diminished HRQoL and WTP values. Therefore, all healthcare professionals should pay more attention to this group of patients on warfarin to achieve better outcomes.

Health-related quality of life in Chinese medical staff: a latent profile analysis

Objective

To investigate subgroups of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the Chinese medical staff and identify the demographic factors associated with these profiles.

Methods

574 Chinese medical staff were surveyed online. HRQoL was measured by using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Version 2. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify the profiles of HRQoL. The associations between HRQoL profiles and covariates were assessed using multinomial logistic regression.

Results

Three HRQoL profiles were developed: low HRQoL at 15.6%, moderate HRQoL at 46.9%, and high HRQoL at 37.6%. Multinomial logistic regression showed night shift times, aerobic exercise conditioning, and personality type significantly predicted the profile membership.

Conclusion

Our findings develop earlier approaches that only used total scores to evaluate this group's HRQoL and help them with tailored interventions to promote better HRQoL.

Psychometric properties comparison between EQ-5D-5L and EQ-5D-3L in the general Thai population

PURPOSE

Evidence for the EQ-5D-5L's psychometric properties in the general Thai population is limited. This study aimed to compare ceiling effect, discriminatory power, response redistribution, validity, reliability between the EQ-5D-5L (5L) and the EQ-5D-3L (3L) in the general Thai population.

METHODS

1200 participants were randomly selected. The Shannon index ([Formula: see text] and Shannon evenness index ([Formula: see text] determining discriminatory power of both EQ-5D versions in each dimension were compared. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using weighted kappa (k) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Validity was evaluated by correlations between similar dimensions of the EQ-5D, WHOQOL-BREF, and SF-12v2 and known-groups validity. The ceiling effects for the 3L and for the 5L were compared.

RESULTS

The 5L had lower ceiling effects than the 3L (49.08% vs 57.17%, p < 0.01). [Formula: see text] was higher for the 5L than for the 3L, but [Formula: see text] showed otherwise. Moderate correlations were detected between similar dimensions of the EQ-5D and the WHOQOL-BREF and SF-12v2. ICCs and k of the 3L were slightly higher than those of the 5L (ICCs: 0.78 vs 0.71) and (k: 0.42-0.63 vs 0.48-0.61), respectively. Older, female participants and those with comorbidities reported a lower utility index for both versions.

CONCLUSION

Evidence supported use of both EQ-5D versions in the general Thai population. The 5L had better ceiling effects and discriminant activity, while it showed comparable known-groups validity with the 3L. Nevertheless, evidence is limited for the superiority of reliability between these two versions, so more future research is required to investigate it.