Outcome measure developed for Crohn's perianal fistula

(HealthDay)—A patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) has been developed for Crohn's perianal fistula, which has good internal consistency, excellent stability, and good responsiveness and construct validity, according to a study published in the September issue of Gut.

Samuel O. Adegbola, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., from Imperial College London, and colleagues generated a draft questionnaire using unstructured qualitative patient interviews on living with Crohn's perianal fistula, a nationwide multidisciplinary consensus exercise, a systematic review of outcomes assessing medical/surgical/combined treatment, and a patient and public involvement day. Psychometric properties, including construct validity, were examined, and reliability and responsiveness were assessed.

A final 28-item questionnaire was developed using data from 211 patients. The researchers found good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha, 0.88), excellent stability (intraclass correlation, 0.98), and good responsiveness and construct validity for the Crohn's Anal Fistula Quality of Life (CAF-QoL), which showed a positive correlation with the U.K. Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

"Assessing quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease is an important component of medical and surgical management and clinical decision making," the authors write. "The CAF-QoL is the first disease-specific PROM in Crohn's perianal fistula developed with a patient-centered methodology."

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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