How to measure function in PsA? A pilot study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A pilot study to establish the sample size of a future study to compare the Multi-Dimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire and the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index in patients with psoriatic arthritis
IRAS ID
234844
Contact name
Laura Coates
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 0 days
Research summary
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic disease with a significant patient-perceived impact. Currently, the definitive goal of treatment is to prevent flares and induce remission. \n\nBoth the Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) and the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQDI) are validated questionnaires developed to assess patients’ perspective of disease activity in rheumatic diseases. Although both questionnaires can be completed by patients in 5-10 minutes, the MDHAQ is said to offer several advantages over the HAQDI. Firstly, the MDHAQ is more comprehensive, with the inclusion of psychological variables, a 60-item symptom review, medical history, social history and demographic data. Secondly, the MDHAQ is quicker for physicians to ‘eyeball’ and to score. In a recent study, the average time taken for physicians to score the MDHAQ is 7.5 seconds, compared to an average of 41.8 seconds to score the HAQDI. Thirdly, the MDHAQ is developed to be more sensitive to ‘floor effects’ compared to the HAQDI. This is when patients report normal scores despite experiencing functional impairment with more challenging everyday tasks. In a single-centre US study where patients with a wide range of rheumatic diseases completed both the MDHAQ and the HAQDI, it was found that although 16% patients had normal HAQDI scores, fewer than 5% had normal scores on the MDHAQ. \n\nTo date, there has been no direct comparison of the two questionnaires in patients with PsA. The aim of this questionnaire study is a pilot to gather sufficient data to plan a future study comparing the MDHAQ with the HAQDI in patients with PsA to determine (i) whether the scores from the two questionnaires are correlated, and (ii) whether either questionnaire is more sensitive to ‘floor effects’ in PsA. \n\nThis pilot study will recruit 50 patients across two centres in England (Oxford and Stoke Mandeville Hospitals, Aylesbury).
REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/2111
Date of REC Opinion
20 Dec 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion