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Does spouse participation influence quality of life reporting in patients with Parkinson’s disease?

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate whether patient–spouse co-reporting (patient reporting with assistance from their spouse) results in the same ratings of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as patient ratings without co-reporting, and to assess whether mutuality of the marital relationship is a determinant of co-reported ratings. Patients are the best source of HRQoL; however, co-reporting is common in clinical settings, but has not been compared to independent patient reporting of HRQoL.

Methods

Fifty-nine Parkinson’s disease (PD) patient–spouse pairs completed the Short Form Health Status Survey (SF-12), measuring mental and physical HRQoL. Initially, the patient and spouse completed the SF-12 independently (about the patient). Then, patient–spouse pairs completed the SF-12 together assessing the patient’s HRQoL. Patients and spouses independently completed the Mutuality Scale rating the intimacy of their relationship.

Results

Patients rated physical HRQoL higher (M = 46.6) than spouses alone (M = 43.4, p < 0.01) and co-reporting (M = 44.8, p < 0.05). Co-reporting rated physical HRQoL in between that of patients and spouses, (p < 0.05). Spouses who reported greater mutuality showed greater concordance with the patient regarding the patient’s mental HRQoL (B = −0.43, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Consistency of the mode of completion of HRQoL instruments is important since co-reporting may alter HRQoL ratings in PD and lead to inaccurate conclusions. Mutuality is a mediator of mental HRQoL.

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Acknowledgments

Study supported by: The Rosalyn Newman Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Chelsea D. Morrow, Melissa J. Armstrong, Stephen G. Reich, William J. Weiner & Lisa M. Shulman

  2. Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Katherine Smentkowski

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Ann L. Gruber-Baldini

  4. MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and Georgetown University Medical Center, Huntington Disease Care, Education and Research Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Karen E. Anderson

  5. University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Stacy Schwartz

Authors
  1. Chelsea D. Morrow
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  2. Katherine Smentkowski
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  3. Stacy Schwartz
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  4. Melissa J. Armstrong
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  5. Ann L. Gruber-Baldini
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  6. Karen E. Anderson
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  7. Stephen G. Reich
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  8. William J. Weiner
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  9. Lisa M. Shulman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chelsea D. Morrow.

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Morrow, C.D., Smentkowski, K., Schwartz, S. et al. Does spouse participation influence quality of life reporting in patients with Parkinson’s disease?. Qual Life Res 24, 245–249 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-014-0744-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-014-0744-2

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