Abstract
IntroductionThe DL is a generic interview-based questionnaire and previously validated in measuring OQoL in nursing home residents. Our aim was to examine its reproducibility and responsiveness in the frail elderly. Materials and methodsThe design was three repeated DL-measures 10, 30 and 365 days on consecutively recruited hip fracture patients with residence in nursing homes and sheltered housing facilities and with a Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 5 or more. The DL-questionnaire consists of 15 questions covering emotional well-being, social relationship, life-satisfaction, comfort, functional competence and autonomy. The scale ranges from 0 (=best OQoL) to score 30 (=worst OQoL). A trained occupational therapist did face-to-face interviews for measuring intra-rater reliability with 20 days interval, and 365 days after hip fracture surgery measuring responsiveness after recovery. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated by two raters in a subgroup. Results130 residents were eligible and completed the test–retest (86%). The systematic difference was 0.49 points (95% confidence interval: −0.25; 1.23). Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) was 3.02 points, and the Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) was 8.37 points. Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was 70%. Evaluating responsiveness, 89 patients (87%) were alive and completed the third interview. The DL improved over time (p<0.001) and was associated with improved physical recovery after hip fracture. The inter-rater reliability was high (ICC=97%). ConclusionsThe DL-questionnaire is easy to use in the frail elderly. It has an acceptable reproducibility, and is able to detect a clinically relevant change over time.
Published Version
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