Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 59 (2006) 1049–1056
VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire was a reliable and valid diseasespecific quality of life measure for deep venous thrombosis
Susan R. Kahna,b,*, Donna L. Lampingc, Thierry Ducrueta, Louise Arsenaulta,
Marie Jose Mirond, Andre Roussind, Sylvie Desmaraise, France Joyald, Jeannine Kassisd,
Susan Solymossb, Louis Desjardinsf, Mira Johria,d, Ian Shriera,b;
for the VETO Study investigators
a
Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Community Studies, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
b
McGill University, Montreal, Canada
c
Health Services Research Unit, London School Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
d
Universit
e de Montr
eal, Montr
eal, Quebec, Canada
e
Centre Hospitalier Pierre Boucher, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada
f
Universit
e Laval, Qu
ebec, Quebec, Canada
Accepted 16 October 2005
Abstract
Objective: To assess the validity of VEINES-QOL/Sym, a patient-reported questionnaire to evaluate quality of life and symptoms in
patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT).
Study Design and Setting: Psychometric study within the Venous Thrombosis Outcomes (VETO) Study, a prospective cohort study of
long-term outcomes after DVT. A total of 359 English- and French-speaking patients with acute, objectively diagnosed DVT were recruited
at seven hospitals in Quebec, Canada. The VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire, a 26-item patient-reported measure that generates separate
summary scores for symptoms (VEINES-Sym) and quality of life (VEINES-QOL) was evaluated for acceptability, reliability, validity, and
responsiveness in VETO Study subjects.
Results: Standard psychometric tests confirmed the acceptability (missing data, item endorsement frequencies, floor and ceiling effects), reliability (internal consistency, item–total and inter-item correlations, test–retest), validity (content, construct, convergent, discriminant, known groups), and responsiveness to clinical change of the VEINES-QOL/Sym in patients with DVT.
Conclusion: The VEINES-QOL/Sym is a practical and scientifically sound patient-reported measure of outcomes that was developed
using gold-standard methods. VEINES-QOL/Sym is valid and reliable for use as a measure of quality of life and symptoms in patients with
acute DVT and provides a rigorous tool to allow more comprehensive evaluation of outcomes in clinical trials and epidemiological studies
of patients with DVT. Ó 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Venous thromboembolism; Deep vein thrombosis; Quality of life; Questionnaire; Patient outcomes; Outcomes research
1. Introduction
Deep venous thrombosis is a common clinical problem
that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality
[1]. Studies of the natural history or treatment of venous
thrombosis have traditionally evaluated clinical endpoints
such as recurrence of venous thromboembolism. While
such endpoints are important, they are limited in their ability to describe and quantify the impact of venous thrombosis on patient health and daily functioning. Quality of life,
* Corresponding author. Tel.: 514-340-8222 ext. 4667; fax: 514-3407564.
E-mail address: susan.kahn@mcgill.ca (S.R. Kahn).
0895-4356/06/$ – see front matter Ó 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2005.10.016
by defining health in broader terms than morbidity and
mortality alone, provides valuable information on burden
of illness and is an important endpoint to consider when
studying patients with venous thrombosis [2–5].
Assessment of quality of life should ideally include both
generic and disease-specific measures that are reliable,
valid, and responsive [2,3]. Generic measures allow
comparison across populations of patients with different
conditions, whereas disease-specific measures are more responsive in detecting treatment effects and changes over
time in patients who have the same disease [3,6].
Recently, as part of the Venous Insufficiency Epidemiological and Economic Study (VEINES) [7], an international
prospective cohort study to evaluate the epidemiology and
1050
S.R. Kahn et al. / Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 59 (2006) 1049–1056
outcomes of chronic venous disorders, our group developed
and validated a venous-disease-specific quality of life measure for use in patients with chronic venous disease, the
VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire [8]. For the present
study, we performed a comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire in an independent sample of patients with acute deep venous
thrombosis. (The VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire is
available with the on-line version of this article at http://
www.elsevier.com/locate/jclinepi.)
2. Methods
2.1. Questionnaire development
The VEINES-QOL/Sym is a patient-based questionnaire
designed for self-completion. The content and format of
questionnaire items and response scales were modeled after
the SF-36 [9,10]. Generic SF-36 questions were modified to
make them specific to venous disease, and new venous-disease-specific questions were developed using the same format and response scales of the SF-36. The questionnaire
was developed in English and was then translated into
French, French Canadian (for use with French-speaking
patients in Canada), and Italian. The development of the
questionnaire content, translation procedures, independent
expert review, pretesting with patients, and psychometric
evaluation in patients with chronic venous disease are described in detail elsewhere [8].
2.2. VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire
The 26-item questionnaire measures the impact of deep
venous thrombosis on symptoms and quality of life from
the patient’s perspective. The items cover symptoms (10
items), limitations in daily activities (9 items), time of
day of greatest intensity (1 item), change over the past year
(1 item), and psychological impact (5 items). Responses are
rated on two-point to seven-point Likert response scales of
intensity, frequency, or agreement. The time frame for
questions about symptoms, daily limitations, and psychological impact covers the previous 4 weeks, as in the SF-36.
2.3. Scoring the VEINES-QOL/Sym
Two summary scores can be computed. The VEINESQOL summary score (25 items) provides an estimate of
the overall impact of deep venous thrombosis on the patient’s quality of life. The VEINES-Sym summary score
(10 items) measures symptom severity. This includes nine
venous symptoms (heavy legs, aching legs, swelling, night
cramps, heat or burning sensation, restless legs, throbbing,
itching, tingling sensation), rated on a five-point Likert
scale of frequency (every day, several times a week, about
once a week, less than once a week, never), and leg pain
rated on a six-point scale of intensity (very severe, severe,
moderate, mild, very mild, none). One item that asks about
the time of day that the leg problem is most intense is not
included in the summary scores; it provides descriptive information only, which may be of use in epidemiological
research.
For both the VEINES-QOL and VEINES-Sym scales,
high scores indicate better outcomes. The VEINES-QOL/
Sym uses the standard method that is routinely used [11]
for scoring questionnaires with items with different response scales [12]. Raw scores are first transformed to
z-score equivalents (mean, 0; standard deviation, 1), which
are then transformed to T-scores (mean, 50; standard deviation, 10) to give an easily understood range of scores. Scores
for missing data are imputed using the same algorithm recommended for scoring the SF-36 [9,10]. A person-specific
estimate is imputed for any missing item in cases where
the patient answered >50% of the items in the scale.
A copy of the VEINES-QOL/Sym and the SAS scoring
program can be obtained from the corresponding author.
2.4. Validation of the VEINES-QOL/Sym in deep vein
thrombosis: the Venous Thrombosis Outcomes study
The Venous Thrombosis Outcomes (VETO) study is an
ongoing, multicenter prospective cohort study with 5-year
follow-up that we are conducting at seven hospital centers
in the province of Quebec, Canada. Its objectives are to estimate the incidence and timing of development of the postthrombotic syndrome (PTS) after deep venous thrombosis,
to identify clinical and genetic risk factors that predict its
development, to measure the impact of deep venous thrombosis on quality of life, and to evaluate resource utilization
and costs associated with deep venous thrombosis. An additional, prespecified objective was to assess the psychometric properties of the VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire
for the evaluation of quality of life and symptoms in
patients with deep venous thrombosis.
2.4.1. Patients
During the study recruitment phase, all consecutive patients with objectively diagnosed, acute deep venous thrombosis at the seven hospital centers were screened for
eligibility to participate in the VETO Study. The diagnosis
of deep venous thrombosis was based on a venous duplex
ultrasonography showing lack of compressibility or intraluminal thrombus in the affected vein [13,14] or on a contrast
venogram showing a constant intraluminal filling defect in
at least two different projections [15]. Patients were eligible
to participate if they could read and understand English or
French. Patients were excluded if they were incapable of responding to a questionnaire, had geographic inaccessibility
that prevented return for the follow-up visits, had an expected lifespan of !3 months, or were unable or refused
to provide informed consent.
Ethics approval was obtained from the relevant committees in each hospital center and written informed consent
was obtained from all patients prior to study entry.
S.R. Kahn et al. / Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 59 (2006) 1049–1056
2.4.2. Study procedures
From April 2001 to July 2002, 359 patients were enrolled in the VETO Study. To obtain data for the psychometric analysis, study patients were evaluated at clinic
visits that took place at the time of enrollment (baseline)
and at 1 and 4 months. At each clinic visit, patient-reported
symptoms and quality of life were assessed using the appropriate language version (i.e., English or French Canadian)
of the SF-36 [9,10] and of the VEINES-QOL/Sym [8].
The SF-36 questionnaire produces two summary scores:
a Physical Component Summary score (PCS) and a Mental
Component Summary score (MCS), which reflect physical
and mental health status, respectively. The VEINES-QOL/
Sym questionnaire produces two summary scores,
VEINES-QOL and VEINES-Sym, which reflect venous
disease-specific quality of life and venous symptoms,
respectively.
At each visit, patients provided information on changes
in their health and underwent a standardized clinical assessment for the PTS, using a clinical scale developed by Villalta et al. [16]. This scale grades the severity, from 0 to
3, of each of five symptoms (pain, cramps, heaviness, pruritus, and paresthesia) and six signs (edema, skin induration, hyperpigmentation, venous ectasia, redness, pain
during calf compression). A score of >5 indicates PTS
and a score of >15 or the presence of a venous ulcer indicates severe PTS.
2.4.3. Psychometric Evaluation of the VEINES-QOL/
Sym
We used gold-standard psychometric tests and criteria to
evaluate the acceptability, reliability, validity, and responsiveness of VEINES-QOL/Sym scores [8,9,12,17].
Acceptability affects the quality of the data obtained, and
was assessed by examining completeness of data and score
distributions. Criteria for acceptability included !5%
missing data for summary scores, even distribution of endorsement frequencies across response categories, and
!10% floor and ceiling effects for summary scores.
Reliability was assessed by measuring internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Internal consistency refers
to the extent to which items comprising the scale measure
the same construct (i.e., homogeneity of scale), and was
assessed by Cronbach’s a [18] (should be O0.70 for
summary scores) and item–total correlations (should be
O0.20) [17]. Test–retest reliability, an indicator of the stability of a measuring instrument, was assessed by administering the instrument to respondents on two different
occasions and examining the correlation between test and
retest scores. The length of the test–retest interval should
be short enough to ensure that clinical change in the symptom being measured is unlikely to occur, but sufficiently
long to ensure that respondents do not recall their responses
from first assessment. The test–retest interval in this study
was 14 days. Test–retest reliability correlations for summary scores should be O0.80 [17].
1051
Content validity refers to the extent to which the content
of a scale is representative of the conceptual domain it is
intended to cover, namely venous thrombosis, and was assessed qualitatively through pretesting with patients, expert
opinion and literature review. Construct validity is shown
by within-scale analyses and analyses against external criteria. Within-scale analyses should show evidence that a single entity (construct) is being measured and that items can
be combined to form a summary score. This was assessed
on the basis of evidence of good internal consistency (Cronbach’s a O 0.70) and a high correlation between VEINESQOL and VEINES-Sym scores (which purport to measure
related aspects of outcome).
Analyses against external criteria included (a) convergent validity, (b) discriminant validity, and (c) knowngroups differences.
Convergent validity is shown by evidence that the scale
is correlated with other measures of same or similar constructs, and assessed on the basis of correlations between
VEINES-QOL/Sym and SF-36 scores. Correlations are expected to vary according to the similarity of the constructs
being measured by each instrument. Both VEINES-QOL
and SF-36 assess quality of life, so the two measures should
be correlated, but because VEINES-QOL and SF-36 differ
in being disease-specific vs. generic measures, correlations
were expected to be in the moderate range (|0.5) [19].
VEINES-QOL/Sym items tap more physical than mental
aspects, so higher correlations were expected with SF-36
PCS (physical) score than with MCS (mental) score. Finally, higher correlations were expected between
VEINES-QOL and SF-36 than between VEINES-Sym
and SF-36, because there is less overlap in content between
the latter two.
Discriminant validity is assessed by demonstrating that
the scale is not correlated with other measures of different
constructs. For example, low correlations were expected
between VEINES-QOL/Sym scores and age and sex.
Known-groups differences addresses the scale’s ability to
differentiate known groups. This was assessed by comparing VEINES-QOL/Sym scores for patients who differed
in severity of disease (as indicated by the Villalta PTS
score). VEINES-QOL/Sym scores should decrease with increasing severity of disease.
Responsiveness refers to the ability of a scale to detect
clinically important change over time. The standard method
for evaluating responsiveness is in the context of an intervention study, where pre- and posttreatment change scores
are used to determine effect sizes. The VETO Study is a cohort study with no systematic intervention component, so
we assessed responsiveness by calculating effect sizes
[20,21] and standardized response means [22] for change
in VEINES-QOL/Sym scores from 1 month to 4 months.
Effect size was calculated as the mean change score from
1 month to 4 months divided by the standard deviation of
scores at the 1-month assessment. This permits translation
of before-and-after changes into a standard unit of
1052
S.R. Kahn et al. / Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 59 (2006) 1049–1056
measurement, rather than comparing raw score changes
[20]. The standardized response mean is a variant of the effect size [22] and was calculated as the mean change score
from 1 month to 4 months divided by the standard deviation
of the change score. Effect size statistics and standardized
response means were compared in patients defined as clinically improved or unimproved according to change Villalta
PTS score [16] during the same time period. Effect sizes
and standardized response means of 0.20 were defined as
small, 0.50 as moderate, and >0.80 as large [20]. To compare the responsiveness of the disease-specific VEINESQOL/Sym with that of a generic measure, we used the same
methods to evaluate responsiveness of SF-36 PCS and MCS
scores.
2.4.4. Study samples for psychometric evaluation
Acceptability of the questionnaire was assessed in the
full sample of 359 patients. Reliability and validity analyses were carried out in all VETO patients who provided
scorable VEINES-QOL/Sym and SF-36 questionnaires
(<20% missing data) at the baseline clinic visit. This sample included 357 patients. Test–retest reliability was evaluated in 52 VETO study patients at two of the study centers
for reasons of convenience (Jewish General Hospital, 19
English-speaking and 6 French-speaking patients; H^opital
Maisonneuve-Rosemont, 27 French-speaking patients). After completing the VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire at the
4-month clinic visit, patients completed the questionnaire
again within a 2-week interval and mailed it to the study
center. Responsiveness was evaluated in all VETO patients
who satisfied two criteria: (i) !20% missing data on the
VEINES-QOL/Sym and (ii) data available for both patient-reported outcomes (i.e., quality of life questionnaires)
and clinical outcome (i.e., PTS score) for both the 1-month
and 4-month clinic visits. The responsiveness sample included 303 patients; most exclusions were due to missed
1- or 4-month clinic visits, with only 2 patients excluded
because of O20% missing VEINES-QOL/Sym data.
3. Results
3.1. VETO Study patient characteristics
Table 1 gives the baseline characteristics of VETO
Study patients. Half of the patients were male, the mean
age was 56 years, and two-thirds were outpatients. Deep venous thrombosis was located in proximal venous segments
in 55% and in distal (infrapopliteal) segments in 45%. Concurrent symptomatic pulmonary embolism was present in
15% of patients, and a history of previous deep venous
thrombosis was documented in 22% of patients.
3.2. Psychometric properties
Results are reported separately for VEINES-QOL and
VEINES-Sym scores.
Table 1
Baseline patient characteristics (N 5 359)
Characteristic
Value
Male, no. (%)
Age, years
Mean (SD)
Range
Patient location, no. (%)
Inpatient
Outpatient
Highest level of education, no. (%)
No schooling
Primary school
High school
College or university
Not employeda, no. (%)
BMI, kg/m2, mean (SD)
VTE Risk Factorsb, no. (%)
Surgery
Trauma
Immobilization
Active cancer
Estrogenic drugs
Pregnancy
Type of DVT, no. (%)
Proximal
Distal
Concurrent pulmonary embolism
Prior history of VTE, no. (%)
Current smoker, no. (%)
180 (50.1)
55.8 (14.8)
21–95
117 (32.6)
242 (67.4)
2
34
123
200
173
27.7
(0.6)
(9.5)
(34.3)
(55.7)
(48.3)
(6.0)
100
62
79
45
83
8
(28.1)
(17.3)
(22.1)
(12.5)
(23.1)
(2.2)
197
162
54
78
66
(54.9)
(45.1)
(15.2)
(21.7)
(18.4)
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; DVT, deep venous thrombosis;
SD, standard deviation; VTE, venous thromboembolism.
a
Includes retired, student, homemaker, unemployed.
b
Some patients had O1 risk factor.
3.2.1. Acceptability
The VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire took 10–15 minutes
to complete and showed good acceptability in the VETO study
population. Table 2 reveals a low proportion of missing data
and low floor and ceiling effects. Examination of item endorsement frequencies (results not shown) revealed that responses
for all items were evenly (more or less uniformly) distributed
across response categories, with no floor or ceiling effects.
3.2.2. Internal consistency reliability
Cronbach’s a coefficients [18] indicate high internal
consistency (Table 2). Values exceed the standard criterion
of 0.70. All item–total correlations satisfied the criterion of
O0.20, ranging from 0.37 to 0.70 for the VEINES-QOL
and from 0.45 to 0.77 for the VEINES-Sym (data not
shown for individual items).
3.2.3. Test–retest reliability
The correlations between test and retest scores were
high, indicating good test–retest reliability (Table 2). All intraclass correlation coefficients were O0.85.
3.2.4. Content validity
Content validity was evaluated during the phase of development of the questionnaire. Evidence from pretesting
1053
S.R. Kahn et al. / Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 59 (2006) 1049–1056
Table 2
Acceptability and reliability of the VEINES-QOL/Sym
Value
Missing data, % (N 5 359)
VEINES-QOL
VEINES-Sym
Floor effects, % (N 5 357)
VEINES-QOL
VEINES-Sym
Ceiling effects, % (N 5 357)
VEINES-QOL
VEINES-Sym
Internal consistency: Cronbach’s a (N 5 357)
VEINES-QOL
VEINES-Sym
Test–retest reliability: ICCa
VEINES-QOL
VEINES-Sym
1
1
!1
!1
!1
8
0.91
0.88
0.87
0.87
Abbreviations: ICC, Intraclass correlation coefficient.
a
Test–retest analyses performed on 52 patients at two centers.
with patients, expert opinion, and a review of literature supports the content validity of the VEINES-QOL/Sym [8].
3.2.5. Construct validity (within-scale analyses)
Evidence of high internal consistency supports the construct validity of the VEINES-QOL/Sym. High a coefficients (Table 2) and moderately high item–total
correlations indicate that a single construct is being measured and that the items can be combined to form summary
scores. A high intercorrelation between VEINES-QOL and
VEINES-Sym scores (r 5 0.88) supports the convergent
validity of the two scales.
3.2.7. Construct validity (discriminant validity)
Low correlations between the VEINES-QOL and
VEINES Sym and age and sex (all correlations <0.15)
(Table 3) support the discriminant validity of both scales
and suggest that responses to the VEINES-QOL/Sym are not
biased in terms of age or gender.
3.2.8. Construct validity (known group differences)
Table 4 gives the mean VEINES-QOL/Sym scores for
patients classified by Villalta PTS score obtained at the
1-month clinic visit. As hypothesized, VEINES-QOL and
VEINES-Sym scores show the expected gradient of poorer
outcome with increasing severity of PTS.
3.2.9. Responsiveness
Table 5 gives the results of the responsiveness analysis
of the VEINES-QOL/Sym and SF-36. Among patients
whose PTS scores improved from 1 month to 4 months,
larger effect sizes were observed for the VEINES-QOL
(0.77), VEINES-Sym (0.65) and SF-36 PCS (0.60) than
for SF-36 MCS (0.38). Hence, VEINES-QOL is the most
responsive, VEINES-Sym and SF-36 PCS show similar responsiveness, and the SF-36 MCS is the least responsive to
change. In contrast, among patients without improvement
in PTS scores, effect sizes for all measures were small.
The standardized response mean showed similar patterns.
Results therefore demonstrate that the VEINES-QOL and
VEINES-Sym are both highly responsive to clinical
change, indicating that VEINES-QOL and VEINES-SYM
successfully discriminate between clinically improved and
unimproved patients.
4. Discussion
3.2.6. Construct validity (convergent validity)
Table 3 gives the correlations between the VEINESQOL/Sym and the SF-36. All correlations support our hypotheses. The VEINES-QOL/Sym is moderately correlated
with SF-36 PCS and MCS summary scores. Correlations
between the VEINES-QOL and SF-36 are higher for PCS
(physical health status) than MCS (mental health status)
scores. Correlations with the SF-36 are higher for the
VEINES-QOL than for the VEINES-Sym.
Table 3
Convergent and discriminant validity of the VEINES-QOL/Sym
(N 5 357)
Correlation, r
Other measures
SF-36 physical (PCS)
SF-36 mental (MCS)
Patient characteristics
Age
Sex
VEINES-QOL
VEINES-Sym
0.63
0.37
0.49
0.29
0.06
0.15
0.03
0.12
The results of our prospective psychometric evaluation
of the VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire indicate that it
meets standard, accepted criteria of acceptability, reliability, validity, and responsiveness for use as a patientreported measure of outcome in deep venous thrombosis.
The VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire is available in four
language versions, is quick and easy to administer, and
can be easily incorporated into epidemiological studies
Table 4
Known-group differences validity as mean VEINES-QOL/Sym scores
by PTS score at 1 month (N 5 328)
Scorea, mean (SD)
Scoreb, PTS
N
VEINES-QOL
VEINES-Sym
0–4
5–14
>15
175
145
8
52.0 (4.9)
47.9 (5.5)
42.1 (5.3)
52.9 (4.6)
48.2 (5.6)
40.6 (6.6)
Of the original 359 VETO patients, 31 did not attend the 1-month visit.
Abbreviations: PTS, postthrombotic syndrome; SD, standard deviation.
a
Higher scores indicate better outcomes.
b
Higher scores indicate more severe disease.
1054
S.R. Kahn et al. / Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 59 (2006) 1049–1056
Table 5
Responsiveness of the VEINES-QOL/Sym in patients with deep vein thrombosis
QOL score, mean (SD)
PTS scores improved
VEINES-QOL
VEINES-Sym
SF-36 PCS
SF-36 MCS
PTS scores did not improve
VEINES-QOL
VEINES-Sym
SF-36 PCS
SF-36 MCS
1 to 4 mo change
N
1 mo
4 mo
Change
Effect sizea
SRMa
158
158
158
158
49.6
50.0
36.9
46.5
(5.6)
(5.9)
(11.0)
(12.1)
54.0
53.8
43.5
51.0
(5.2)
(5.1)
(11.4)
(10.3)
4.3
3.8
6.6
4.6
(4.3)
(4.8)
(10.5)
(11.2)
0.77
0.65
0.60
0.38
1.0
0.79
0.63
0.40
142
142
145
144
50.3
50.9
39.2
45.5
(5.6)
(5.6)
(10.5)
(11.9)
52.1
51.5
42.7
49.5
(6.0)
(6.3)
(11.8)
(10.7)
1.9
0.5
3.4
3.9
(4.6)
(5.4)
(10.1)
(10.2)
0.33
0.09
0.33
0.34
0.41
0.11
0.34
0.38
Mean scores, effect sizes, and standardized response means for change in VEINES-QOL/Sym and SF-36 scores between 1-month and 4-month assessments, according to improvement or lack of improvement in PTS scores. Positive change scores indicate improvement in quality of life.
Abbreviations: MCS, mental component summary; PCS, physical component summary; PTS, postthrombotic syndrome; SRM, standardized response
mean; Sym, symptom portion of VEINES.
a
Effect sizes and standardized response means of 0.20 are defined as small, 0.50 as moderate, and >0.80 or greater as large [20].
and clinical trials of new drug treatments, thus providing
a rigorous method for improving the evaluation of outcomes in studies of patients with deep venous thrombosis.
Deep venous thrombosis is associated with significant
disease burden in terms of pain and suffering, loss of mobility, impairment of function at work and at home, and
psychological distress [23]. Research on these important
patient-reported outcomes has been limited by the lack of
practical, scientifically rigorous outcome measures. To
date, some studies have evaluated quality of life in patients
with deep venous thrombosis using generic measures alone
[24,25]. Generic measures, however, do not give a full picture of the impact of deep venous thrombosis on quality of
life and are less useful than disease-specific measures in
evaluating change over time.
A number of disease-specific quality of life instruments
intended for use in patients with deep venous thrombosis
have been proposed, but none have fully met standard
criteria for validity, reliability and responsiveness. Van
Korlaar et al. [26] developed a measure of venous thrombosis-related quality of life that was evaluated at a single time
point in 45 retrospectively identified patients with previous
deep venous thrombosis at one hospital center. The measure
showed evidence of good internal consistency reliability
and validity, but responsiveness and test–retest reliability
have not been evaluated, and individual venous symptoms
were not considered.
Mathias et al. [27] developed a disease-specific quality
of life measure intended for use in patients with iliofemoral
deep venous thrombosis; this measure was derived from the
Health Utilities Index and SF-12 measures, with the addition of new items specific for deep venous thrombosis. In
a population of 111 retrospectively identified patients with
prior iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis, this measure
demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity but limited
responsiveness.
Hedner et al. [28] reported on a Swedish language, 29item instrument for measuring quality of life in patients
with deep venous thrombosis; it also includes specific items
that relate to burden of treatment with warfarin. Consecutive outpatients with proximal deep venous thrombosis
completed the questionnaire at one point in time. There is
evidence for internal consistency and construct validity,
but test–retest reliability and responsiveness have not been
assessed.
Finally, Hudgens et al. [29] recently reported the development and validation of a 14-item leg symptom index intended for monitoring of DVT-related symptoms, rated
separately in each leg. The measure was administered by
telephone interview to 77 patients (age and sex distribution
not reported) at 3–7 days, 30–40 days, and 12 months after
hospitalization for acute deep venous thrombosis. There is
evidence of internal consistency and validity, but test–retest
reliability and responsiveness have not been reported.
The VEINES-QOL/Sym has potential applications in
both research and routine monitoring of health care. As
a more responsive instrument than the SF-36, the
VEINES-QOL/Sym holds promise in evaluating new treatments for deep venous thrombosis, whose effects may not
be detected by less sensitive generic measures. As an outcome measure in clinical trials, VEINES-QOL/Sym will
provide scientifically robust information about the efficacy
of treatment from the patient’s point of view. This information, when combined with data on clinical outcomes and
costs, will allow comprehensive evaluation of new treatments. The VEINES-QOL/Sym measure offers flexibility,
because it provides a validated measure of both deep venous thrombosis-related quality of life and deep venous
thrombosis-related symptoms. Although DVT treatment-related issues (e.g., blood test monitoring while on warfarin)
may indeed have an impact on quality of life, the objective
of the VEINES-QOL measure is to evaluate the impact of
S.R. Kahn et al. / Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 59 (2006) 1049–1056
the condition, not its specific treatment, on quality of life.
As such, it is flexible for use in a broad range of situations,
and permits comparability of studies that use different treatments or interventions.
Our conclusions about the acceptability, reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the VEINES-QOL/Sym are
based on a sample of patients with objectively diagnosed
symptomatic deep venous thrombosis recruited and prospectively followed at seven hospital centers. Our sample
is likely to be representative, given that our study was multicenter, both inpatients and outpatients were enrolled, and
inclusion criteria were broad. Nevertheless, future work
should be undertaken to establish population norms for
VEINES-QOL and VEINES-Sym scores in deep venous
thrombosis patients in different countries, so that the appropriate population-based weights can be used in place of current sample-specific scoring algorithms. In addition, further
evaluation of the ability of the VEINES-QOL/Sym measure
to detect change following different treatments for deep venous thrombosis would provide additional useful evidence
of responsiveness to specific interventions. Finally, testing
of the VEINES-QOL/Sym measure in independent samples
of patients with deep venous thrombosis would be useful to
confirm its psychometric properties.
In conclusion, our results indicate that VEINES-QOL/
Sym is a practical, reliable, valid and responsive measure
of quality of life and symptoms in patients with deep venous thrombosis. Use of this measure in clinical trials
and epidemiological studies of patients with deep venous
thrombosis will allow more comprehensive evaluation of
patient outcomes and burden of illness than is currently
provided using clinical endpoints alone.
Acknowledgments
This study was conducted as part of the VETO Study,
a research program on long-term outcomes after venous
thrombosis supported by the Fonds de la Recherche en
Sante du Quebec and by an unrestricted grant from Sanofi
Synthelabo. Drs. Kahn and Shrier are recipients of Clinical
Investigator Awards from the Fonds de la Recherche en
Sante du Quebec, and Dr. Johri is a recipient of an Investigator Award from the Fonds de la Recherche en Sante du
Quebec.
We thank the VETO study personnel at the clinical study
sites for their dedication to this project.
References
[1] Bates SM, Ginsberg JS. Treatment of deep-vein thrombosis. N Engl J
Med 2004;351:268–77.
[2] Lamping DL. Measuring health-related quality of life in venous disease: practical and scientific considerations. Angiology 1997;48:51–7.
[3] Patrick DL, Deyo RA. Generic and disease-specific measures in assessing health status and quality of life. Med Care 1989;27(3
Suppl):S217–32.
1055
[4] Kahn SR, Solymoss S, Lamping DL, Abenhaim L. Long-term outcomes after deep vein thrombosis: postphlebitic syndrome and quality of life. J Gen Intern Med 2000;15:425–9.
[5] van Korlaar I, Vossen C, Rosendaal F, Cameron L, Bovill E,
Kaptein A. Quality of life in venous disease. Thromb Haemost
2003;90:27–35.
[6] Wiebe S, Guyatt G, Weaver B, Matijevic S, Sidwell C. Comparative
responsiveness of generic and specific quality-of-life instruments.
J Clin Epidemiol 2003;56:52–60.
[7] Abenhaim L, Kurz X. The VEINES study (VEnous INsufficiency Epidemiologic and Economic Study): an international cohort study on
chronic venous disorders of the leg. Angiology 1997;48:59–66.
[8] Lamping DL, Schroter S, Kurz X, Kahn SR, Abenhaim L. Evaluating
outcomes in chronic venous disorders of the leg: development of a scientifically rigorous, patient-reported measure of symptoms and quality of life. J Vasc Surg 2003;37:410–9.
[9] Ware JE, Snow KK, Kosinski MA, Gandek B. SF-36 Health Survey:
Manual and interpretation guide. Boston, MA: The Health Institute,
New England Medical Center; 1993.
[10] Ware JE, Kosinski M, Keller SD. SF-36 physical and mental summary measures: a user’s manual. Boston, MA: The Health Institute,
New England Medical Center; 1994.
[11] Ware J, Kosinski M. SF-36 physical and mental health summary
scores: a manual for users of version 1. 2nd ed. Lincoln, RI: QualityMetric; 2001.
[12] Streiner DL, Norman GR. Health measurement scales: A practical
guide to their development and use. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1995.
[13] Lensing AWA, Prandoni P, Brandjes DPM, Huisman PM, Vigo M,
Tomasella G, Krekt J, Wouter Ten Cate J, Huisman MV,
Buller HR. Detection of deep vein thrombosis by real-time B mode
ultrasonography. N Engl J Med 1989;320:342–5.
[14] Kearon C, Ginsberg JS, Hirsh J. The role of venous ultrasonography
in the diagnosis of suspected deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary
embolism. Ann Intern Med 1998;129:1044–9.
[15] Lensing AWA, Buller HR, Prandoni P, Batchelor D, Molenaar AH,
Cogo A, Vigo M, Huisman PM, ten Cate JW. Contrast venography,
the gold standard for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis: improvement in observer agreement. Thromb Haemost 1992;67:8–12.
[16] Villalta S, Bagatella P, Piccioli A, Lensing A, Prins M, Prandoni P.
Assessment of validity and reproducibility of a clinical scale for the
post-thrombotic syndrome. Haemostasis 1994;24:158a. [Abstract].
[17] Nunnally JC, Bernstein IH. Psychometric theory. 3rd ed. New York:
McGraw-Hill; 1994.
[18] Cronbach L. Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika 1951;16:297–334.
[19] Colton T. Statistics in medicine. 1st ed. Boston, MA: Little, Brown;
1974. 210–1.
[20] Cohen J. Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences.
Revised ed. New York: Academic Press; 1977.
[21] Kazis LE, Anderson JJ, Meenan RF. Effect sizes for interpreting
changes in health status. Med Care 1989;27(3 Suppl):S178–89.
[22] Liang MH, Fossel AH, Larson MG. Comparisons of five health status
instruments for orthopedic evaluation. Med Care 1990;28:632–42.
[23] Kahn SR, Ginsberg JS. Relationship between deep venous thrombosis and the postthrombotic syndrome. Arch Int Med 2004;164:
17–26.
[24] Beyth RJ, Cohen AM, Landefeld CS. Long-term outcomes of deepvein thrombosis. Arch Intern Med 1995;155:1031–7.
[25] O’Brien B, Levine M, Willan A, Goeree R, Haley S, Blackhouse G,
Gent M. Economic evaluation of outpatient treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin for proximal vein thrombosis. Arch Intern Med
1999;159:2298–304.
[26] Van Korlaar IM, Vossen CY, Rosendaal FR, Bovill EG, Cushman M,
Naud S, Kaptein AA. The impact of venous thrombosis on quality of
life. Thromb Res 2004;114:11–8.
1056
S.R. Kahn et al. / Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 59 (2006) 1049–1056
[27] Mathias SD, Prebil LA, Putterman CG, Chmiel JJ, Throm RC,
Comerota AJ. A health-related quality of life measure in patients with
deep vein thrombosis: a validation study. Drug Inf J 1999;33:
1173–87.
[28] Hedner E, Carlsson J, Kulich KR, Stigendal L, Ingelgard A,
Wiklund I. An instrument for measuring health-related quality of life
in patients with deep venous thrombosis (DVT): development and
validation of Deep Venous Thrombosis Quality of Life (DVTQOL)
questionnaire. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2004;2:30.
[29] Hudgens S, Cella D, Caprini C, Caprini J. Deep vein thrombosis: validation of a patient-reported leg symptom index. Health Qual Life
Outcomes 2003;1:76.
S.R. Kahn et al. / Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 59 (2006) 1049–1056
1056.e1
VEINES-QOL/Sym
QUESTIONNAIRE
You have had a venous thrombosis. In this survey, we are interested in finding out more
about the effects of your leg problem on your daily activities, both at home and at work.
This information will give us a better idea about how to treat such problems.
Thank you for participating in this study. This questionnaire includes questions about
your health in general and about your leg problem, as well as questions about your life
and usual activities. It will take about 10 minutes to complete. All of your answers are
confidential. Do not write your name on the questionnaire.
Thank you for your help.
1056.e2
S.R. Kahn et al. / Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 59 (2006) 1049–1056
INSTRUCTIONS
HOW TO ANSWER:
Answer every question by marking the answer as indicated. If you are unsure about how to answer a
question, please give the best answer you can.
These questions are about your leg problem(s).
1.
During the past 4 weeks, how often have you had any of the following leg problems?
(check one box on each line)
Every
day
Several
times a
week
About
once
a week
Less than
once a
week
Never
1.
Heavy legs
1
2
3
4
5
2.
Aching legs
1
2
3
4
5
3.
Swelling
1
2
3
4
5
4.
Night cramps
1
2
3
4
5
5.
Heat or burning sensation
1
2
3
4
5
6.
Restless legs
1
2
3
4
5
7.
Throbbing
1
2
3
4
5
8.
Itching
1
2
3
4
5
9.
Tingling sensation (e.g.pins and
needles)
1
2
3
4
5
2.
At what time of day is your leg problem most intense ? (check one)
1
On waking
4
During the night
2
At mid-day
5
At any time of day
3
At the end of the day
6
Never
3.
Compared to one year ago, how would you rate your leg problem in general now? (check one)
1
Much better now than one year ago
4
Somewhat worse now than one year ago
2
Somewhat better now than one year ago
5
Much worse now than one year ago
3
About the same now as one year ago
6
I did not have any leg problem last year
1056.e3
S.R. Kahn et al. / Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 59 (2006) 1049–1056
4.
The following items are about activities that you might do in a typical day. Does your leg problem now limit you
in these activities? If so, how much ?
(Check one box on each line)
I do not
work
YES,
Limited A
Lot
YES,
Limited A
Little
NO, Not
Limited At
All
a.
Daily activities at work
b.
Daily activities at home (e.g. housework, ironing, doing odd
jobs repairs around the house, gardening, etc...)
c.
Social or leisure activities in which you are standing for long periods
(e.g. parties, weddings, taking public transportation, shopping, etc...)
d.
Social or leisure activities in which you are sitting for long periods
(e.g. going to the cinema or the theater, travelling, etc...)
5.
During the past 4 weeks, have you had any of the following problems with your work or other regular daily
activities as a result of your leg problem?
0
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
1
2
3
(check one box on each line)
YES
NO
a.
Cut down the amount of time you spent on work or other activities
1
2
b.
Accomplished less than you would like
1
2
c.
Were limited in the kind of work or other activities
1
2
d.
Had difficulty performing the work or other activities (for example, it took extra
effort)
1
2
6.
During the past 4 weeks, to what extent has your leg problem interfered with your normal social activities with
family, friends, neighbors or groups? (check one)
1
Not at all
4
Quite a bit
2
Slightly
5
Extremely
3
Moderately
7.
How much leg pain have you had during the past 4 weeks? (check one)
1
None
4
Moderate
2
Very mild
5
Severe
3
Mild
6
Very severe
1056.e4
8.
S.R. Kahn et al. / Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 59 (2006) 1049–1056
These questions are about how you feel and how things have been with you during the past 4 weeks as a result
of your leg problem. For each question, please give the one answer that comes closest to the way you have
been feeling. How much of the time during the past 4 weeks -
(check one box on each line)
A Good
A Little
All of
Most of
Some of of the None of
Bit of
the Time the Time the Time the Time Time the Time
a.
Have you felt concerned about the
appearance of your leg(s) ?
1
2
3
4
5
6
b.
Have you felt irritable ?
1
2
3
4
5
6
c.
Have you felt a burden to your family or
friends ?
1
2
3
4
5
6
d.
Have you been worried about bumping into
things ?
1
2
3
4
5
6
e.
Has the appearance of your leg(s) influenced
your choice of clothing ?
1
2
3
4
5
6
Thank you for your help.
Please write today’s date:
_____/_____/_______ (day month/year)