PR2 A Feasibility Study of Preference-Based Health-Related Quality of Life Measures on Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrom in Taiwan

Abstract

PR2 A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF PREFERENCE-BASED HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE MEASURES ON PATIENTS WITH IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROM IN TAIWAN Hsu CC1, Chen LC2, Wen YH1, Su YC3 1Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 2University of Nottingham, UK, 3Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan OBJECTIVES: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a relapsing, chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder leading to long-term disturbances on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Various functional and QoL measures have been developed to evaluate IBS outcomes, but none of the preference-based QoL measure has been applied and validated on Taiwanese people. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of applying preference-based HRQoL measures to IBS patients in Taiwan. METHODS: This prospective study was conducted from July to December 2010 at gastroenterology clinics in a regional hospital in southern Taiwan. IBS outpatients diagnosed by Rome III criteria were invited into participate semi-structure interview survey by using EuroQol (EQ-5D) questionnaire, 100-mm visual analogue scale (EQ-5D VAS) and standard gamble (SG) method. The EQ-5D assessment was transformed into EQ-5D index using Japanese preference weight. Multiple regression was used to assess factors associated with utilities, e.g. demographic, socioeconomic status and disease severity. RESULTS: Of all, 29 participants (mean age 45.8 16.5 years; 62.1% female) completed QoL survey, except for one rejected SG survey for disagreeing with SG hypothesis. Participants’ IBS subtypes include constipation (n 11; 37.9%), diarrhea (n 16; 55.2%) and unsubtyped IBS (n 2; 6.9%); and 12 (41.4%) participants were newly diagnosed IBS and 12 had over two-year disease history. Participants had no problem in EQ-5D survey, some expressed difficulties in dimensions of pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. Mean utility derived from SG (0.85 0.16), EQ-5D index (0.79 0.15) and EQ-5D VAS (0.59 0.17) were significantly different (p 0.05). SG utility was significantly associated with unsubtyped IBS and whether the IBS was newly diagnosed (p 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IBS is well-tolerated but causing problem in anxiety/depression and pain/discomfort in QoL survey. Mean utility of SG is higher than results derived from EQ-5D and EQ VAS, and this finding matches previous literature. Further validate the utility measures in more IBS patients with various subtypes and severity is needed.