A Chinese Hepatitis B Health-Related Quality Of Life Questionnaire

Main Category: Liver Disease / Hepatitis
Article Date: 01 Oct 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment is an important aspect of the overall management of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, a major challenge is to find a valid and reliable disease-specific HRQoL instrument designed for hepatitis B patients. This is particularly important among Chinese-speaking individuals, as a substantial portion of the 400 million hepatitis B sufferers worldwide is ethnic Chinese.

A recent study, "Reliability and Validity of A Chinese Version's Health-related Quality of Life Questionnaire for Hepatitis B Patients," published in Value in Health, reports the study findings of the Chinese Hepatitis B Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire being tested for its reliability and validity. The study was performed in Singapore, a multiracial country with a sizable ethnic Chinese population (75%), where the availability of a validating Chinese questionnaire would contribute to the management and monitoring of hepatitis B disease progression among Chinese patients. The study was co-authored by Dr Siew Chin Ong, Professors Seng Gee Lim and Shu Chuen Li of National University of Singapore and University of Newcastle, Australia.

Says Dr Ong, "Our results showed that this version of the culturally adapted questionnaire has good validity and reliability, making it a potentially useful outcome measure in the evaluation of HBV patients in Singapore, and possibly among Chinese patients worldwide".

The study is discussed in Value in Health, the official journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research.

Value in Health (ISSN 1098-3015) publishes papers, concepts, and ideas that advance the field of pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research and help health care leaders make decisions that are solidly evidence-based. The journal is published bi-monthly and has a regular readership of over 4,000 clinicians, decision-makers, and researchers worldwide.

ISPOR is a nonprofit, international organization that strives to translate pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research into practice to ensure that society allocates scarce health care resources wisely, fairly, and efficiently.

Source
ISPOR

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