Cross‐cultural development and psychometric evaluation of a patient‐reported health‐related quality of life questionnaire for adults with haemophilia

Abstract

Summary. Co‐morbidities of haemophilia, such as arthropathy and blood‐borne infections, can adversely affect the quality of life of adult patients with haemophilia. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a haemophilia‐specific health‐related quality of life questionnaire for adults (HAEMO‐QoL‐A). Subjects with varying severities of haemophilia completed the HAEMO‐QoL‐A at baseline and 4 weeks. Other assessments included the SF‐36 and Health Assessment Questionnaire – Functional Disability Index (HAQ‐FDI). Two‐hundred and twenty‐one participants completed the 41‐item HAEMO‐QoL‐A covering six domains (Physical Functioning, Role Functioning, Worry, Consequences of Bleeding, Emotional Impact and Treatment Concerns) and four independent items. Internal consistency was good‐to‐excellent (Cronbach’s α‐range: 0.75–0.95). Test–retest reproducibility was good, with intraclass correlation coefficients >0.80 except for the Emotional Impact domain (0.79). Concurrent validity between the HAEMO‐QoL‐A total and subscale scores and all SF‐36 subscale scores were generally good (correlations range: 0.13–0.87). Significant correlations between the HAEMO‐QoL‐A and the HAQ‐FDI ranged from −0.14 to −0.69. There were non‐significant correlations with the Treatment Concerns subscale and with the Worry subscale. The HAEMO‐QoL‐A discriminated significantly between adults with haemophilia by severity and HIV status. The Physical Functioning subscale discriminated between patients receiving prophylactic or on‐demand therapy. The HAEMO‐QoL‐A is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing quality of life in haemophilia patients.