Background: Evaluation of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in chronic respiratory failure (CRF) is an important issue for evaluating the impact of treatment. Objectives: To elaborate a French version of the Maugeri Foundation Respiratory Failure Questionnaire (MRF-28) disease-specific HRQL questionnaire and determine its validity and reliability in patients with CRF treated by home mechanical ventilation (HMV). Methods: Forward- and back-translation of the MRF-28 questionnaire; the final version was submitted to 81 patients treated with HMV for CRF, simultaneously with the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), the Short Form 36 (SF-36), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD). Validity was determined by correlation with previously validated HRQL scores and recorded physiological parameters. Reliability was evaluated by assessing internal consistency and test-retest stability of the MRF-28 scores. Results: The French version of the MRF-28 and its subscores (‘daily activity’, ‘cognitive function’, and ‘invalidity’) were highly significantly correlated with subscores of the SGRQ, the SF-36 and the HAD. Both the MRF-28 and the SGRQ were correlated only with age and the 6-min walk test. The MRF-28 showed high test-retest reliability after 2 weeks (r2 = 0.80, p < 0.0001) and high internal consistency (Crohnbachs’ α coefficient: 0.91). Conclusion: The French version of the MRF-28 is a valid and reliable disease-specific questionnaire for assessing HRQL in patients with CRF.

Keywords:
Quality of life, health-related, Respiratory insufficiency, chronic, Mechanical ventilation, home
1.
Jones PW: Issues concerning health-related quality of life in COPD. Chest 1995;107:187S–193S.
2.
Janssens JP: When and how to assess quality of life in chronic lung disease. Swiss Med Wkly 2001;131:623–629.
3.
Guyatt GH, Berman LB, Townsend M, Pugsley SP, Chambers LW: A measure of quality of life for clinical trials in chronic lung disease. Thorax 1987;42:773–778.
4.
Jones PW, Quirk FH, Bavestock CM: The St George Respiratory Questionnaire. Respir Med 1991;85(suppl B):25–31.
5.
Carone M, Bertolotti G, Anchisi F, Zotti A, Donner C, Jones P: Analysis of factors that characterize health impairment in patients with chronic respiratory failure. Eur Respir J 1999;13:1293–1300.
6.
Elliott MW, Mulvey DA, Moxham J, Green M, Branthwaite MA: Domiciliary nocturnal nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation in COPD: Mechanisms underlying changes in arterial blood gas tensions. Eur Respir J 1991;4:1044–1052.
7.
Meecham-Jones D, Paul E, Jones P, Wedzicha J: Nasal pressure support ventilation plus oxygen compared with oxygen therapy alone in hypercapnic COPD. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1995;152:538–544.
8.
Perrin C, El Far Y, Vandenbos F, Tamisier R, Dumon M, Lemoigne F, Mouroux, J, Blaive B: Domiciliary nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation in severe COPD: Effects on lung function and quality of life. Eur Respir J 1997;10:2835–2839.
9.
Janssens JP, Cicotti E, Fitting JW, Rochat T: Non-invasive home ventilation in patients over 75 years of age: Tolerance, compliance, and impact on quality of life. Respir Med 1998;92:1311–1320.
10.
Clini E, Sturani C, Rossi A, Viaggi S, Corrado A, Donner CF, Ambrosino N: The Italian multicentre study on noninvasive ventilation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Eur Respir J 2002;20:529–538.
11.
Ware JE, Snow KK, Kosinski M, Gandek B: SF-36 Health Survey. Manual and Interpretation Guide. Boston, The Health Institute, New England Medical Center, 1993.
12.
Perneger TV, Leplège A, Etter J-F, Rougemont A: Validation of a French-language version of the MOS 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) in young healthy adults. J Clin Epidemiol 1995;48:1051–1060.
13.
Bouchet C, Guillemin F, Hoang Thi TH, Cornette A, Briançon S: Validation of the St George Respiratory Questionnaire for measuring quality of life in patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency. Rev Mal Respir 1996;13:43–46.
14.
Zigmond AS, Snaith RP: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1983;67:361–370.
15.
Lepine JP, Godchau M, Brun P, Lempérière T: Evaluation of anxiety and depression in patients hospitalized in an internal medicine ward. Ann Med Psychol 1985;143:175–189.
16.
Janssens JP, Derivaz S, Breitenstein E, de Muralt B, Fitting JW, Chevrolet JC, Rochat T: Changing patterns in long-term noninvasive ventilation. A 7-year prospective study in the Geneva Lake area. Chest 2003;123/1:67–79.
17.
McGavin CR, Artvinli M, Naoe H, McHardy GJR: Dyspnoea, disability, and distance walked: Comparison of estimates of exercise performance in respiratory disease. Br Med J 1978;ii:241–243.
18.
Curtis JR, Deyo RA, Hudson LD: Health-related quality of life among patients with COPD. Thorax 1994;49:162–170.
19.
Guyatt GH, Feeny DH, Patrick DL: Measuring health-related quality of life. Ann Intern Med 1993;118:622–629.
20.
Chang J, Curtis J, Patrick D, Raghu G: Assessment of health-related quality of life in patients with interstitial lung disease. Chest 1999;116:1175–1182.
21.
Ketelaars C, Schlösser M, Mostert R, Huyer Abu-Saad H, Halfens R, Wouters E: Determinants of health-related quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thorax 1996;51:39–43.
22.
Jones PW, Quirk FH, Baveystock CM, Littlejohns P: A self-complete measure of health status for chronic airflow limitation: The St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire. Am Rev Respir Dis 1992;145:1321–1327.
23.
Wijkstra PJ: Relation of lung function, maximal inspiratory pressure, dyspnoea, and quality of life with exercise capacity in patients with COPD. Thorax 1994;49:468–472.
24.
Testa M, Simonson D: Assessment of quality of life outcomes. N Engl J Med 1996;334:835–840.
25.
Janssens JP, Rochat T, Frey JG, Dousse N, Pichard C, Tschopp JM: Health-related quality of life in patients under long-term oxygen therapy: A home-based descriptive study. Respir Med 1997;91:592–602.
26.
Pehrsson K, Olofson J, Larsson S, Sullivan M: Quality of life of patients treated by home mechanical ventilation due to restrictive ventilatory disorders. Respir Med 1994;88:21–26.
27.
Simonds AK, Elliott MW: Outcome of domiciliary nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation in restrictive and obstructive disorders. Thorax 1995;50:604–609.
28.
Smith IE, Shneerson JM: A progressive care programme for prolonged ventilatory failure: Analysis of outcome. Br J Anaesth 1995;75:399–404.
29.
Grant I, Heaton RK, McSweeny J, Adams KM, Timms RM: Neuropsychologic findings in hypoxemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Arch Intern Med 1982;142:1470–1476.
30.
Wijkstra PJ, TenVergert EM, Van Altena R, Otten V, Postma DS, Kraan J, Koeter GH: Reliability and validity of the chronic respiratory questionnaire (CRQ). Thorax 1994;49:465–467.
31.
Grant I, Prigatano GP, Heaton RK, McSweeny AJ, Wright EC, Adams KM: Progressive neuropsychologic impairment and hypoxemia. Relationship in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1987;44:999–1006.
32.
Leger P, Bedicam JM, Cornette A, Reybet-Degat O, Langevin B, Polu JM, Jeannin L, Robert D: Nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation: Long-term follow-up in patients with severe chronic respiratory insufficiency. Chest 1994;105:100–105.
33.
Janssens JP, Kehrer P, Fitting JW, Rochat T: Domiciliary non-invasive ventilation: Long-term follow-up of 32 cases. Rev Mal Respir 1999;16:511–520.
34.
Wyrwich K: Statistical interpretation of health-related quality of life changes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Eur Respir Rev 2002;12:67–68.
© 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel
2004
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.