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Testing the measurement equivalence of paper and touch-screen versions of the EQ-5D visual analog scale (EQ VAS)

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Abstract

Objectives

This study examined the measurement equivalence of the original paper-based vertical format of the EQ-5D visual analog scale (EQ VAS) with a touch-screen computer-based horizontal format.

Methods

A total of 314 subjects were administered two modes of the EQ VAS in a randomized crossover design. One mode was the original paper-based 20 cm vertical EQ VAS; the other mode was touch-screen-based. Measurement equivalence was assessed by testing the 95% confidence interval of the mean differences from an equivalence threshold of −3 to +3 points on the VAS and evaluating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results

The adjusted mean (SE) EQ VAS score was 80.96 (0.87) on the paper and 79.59 (0.85) on the touch-screen. The mean (CI) difference between scores on the two formats was 1.37 with a confidence interval of 0.175–2.559, wholly contained within the equivalence interval. The ICC was 0.75, indicating acceptable agreement between the two modes. Almost a third (30.1%) of the respondents reported identical scores on both formats.

Conclusion

These results provide evidence for the measurement equivalence of this EQ VAS touch-screen administration mode with the original paper mode.

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Abbreviations

PRO:

Patient-reported outcome

EQ VAS:

EQ-5D visual analog scale

ICC:

Intraclass correlation coefficient

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Acknowledgments

Financial support was provided by assisTek (formerly Assist Technologies) and the University of Arizona. Prof. Coons’s research and teaching program has received research and unrestricted educational grants from assisTek. At the time this research was conducted, Sulabha Ramachandran was a PhD candidate at the University of Arizona.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Economics and Outcomes Research, AstraZeneca LP, PO Box 15437, 1800 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE, 19850, USA

    Sulabha Ramachandran

  2. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    J. Jason Lundy

  3. Center for Health Outcomes and PharmacoEconomic Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Stephen Joel Coons

Authors
  1. Sulabha Ramachandran
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  2. J. Jason Lundy
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  3. Stephen Joel Coons
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sulabha Ramachandran.

Additional information

Sulabha Ramachandran is an employee of AstraZeneca. However, the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily state or reflect those of AstraZeneca.

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Ramachandran, S., Lundy, J.J. & Coons, S.J. Testing the measurement equivalence of paper and touch-screen versions of the EQ-5D visual analog scale (EQ VAS). Qual Life Res 17, 1117–1120 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-008-9384-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-008-9384-8

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