Face Validity of Fatigue Scales in CFS/ME: CFQ & BRAF
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring face validity of fatigue scales using cognitive interviewing in a CFS/ME population: The Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFQ) and the Bristol Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue (BRAF) Scales
IRAS ID
233150
Contact name
Peter Gladwell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
North Bristol NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
100398, EDGE database reference number
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study will take place within the Bristol Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) service at two hospitals in Bristol. it will investigate the way that we measure fatigue in (CFS/ME). Specifically, it is investigating the way that patients with CFS/ME make sense of, and answer the questions on two questionnaires used to measure fatigue. The reason for this is to examine if the questionnaires are actually measuring what they aim to be measuring, in an accurate way.
The main aim of this research is to try and improve the measurement of fatigue in CFS/ME. At present there are no known biological markers of fatigue in CFS/ME, this means that it is measured using questionnaires answered by patients about the way that their fatigue impacts them. We need to make sure that these questionnaires make sense to patients, so that we can feel confident about the answers that are given.
This study intends to ask patients with CFS/ME to describe the thought processes they go through when answering the questions about their fatigue on two commonly used questionnaires (the Chalder fatigue Scale and the Bristol Rheumatoid Arthritis fatigue Scales). The purpose of this study is not to study the participants thought processes, but instead, to use the thought processes as a way of testing the way that the questionnaires have been designed. The aim of this study is to highlight any areas that patients with CFS/ME find difficult when answering the questions. The study will find out if there are any parts of the questionnaires that are difficult to answer, as this will affect their accuracy. This study also aims to gain the opinions of the end user as to which questionnaire they prefer and why.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NW/0726
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jan 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion