Faculty Collaboration Database

Development and validation of a revised trauma-specific quality of life instrument. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2020 Apr;88(4):501-507

Date

10/19/2019

Pubmed ID

31626032

DOI

10.1097/TA.0000000000002505

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85082342529 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   13 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The National Academies of Science has called for routine collection of long-term outcomes after injury. One of the main barriers for this is the lack of practical trauma-specific tools to collect such outcomes. The only trauma-specific long-term outcomes measure that applies a biopsychosocial view of patient care, the Trauma Quality-of-Life (T-QoL), has not been adopted because of its length, lack of composite scores, and unknown validity. Our objective was to develop a shorter version of the T-QoL measure that is reliable, valid, specific, and generalizable to all trauma populations.

METHODS: We used two random samples selected from a prospective registry developed to follow long-term outcomes of adult trauma survivors (Injury Severity Score ≥9) admitted to three level I trauma centers. First, we validated the original T-QoL instrument using the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) version 2.0 and Breslau post-traumatic stress disorder screening (B-PTSD) tools. Second, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to reduce the length of the original T-QoL instrument, and using a different sample, we scored and performed internal consistency and validity assessments of the revised T-QoL (RT-QoL) components.

RESULTS: All components of the original T-QoL were significantly correlated negatively with the B-PTSD and positively with the SF-12 mental and physical composite scores. After confirmatory factor analysis, a three-component structure using 18 items (six items/component) most appropriately represented the data. Each component in the revised instrument demonstrated a high level of internal consistency (Cronbach's α ≥0.8) and correlated negatively with the B-PTSD and positively with the SF-12, demonstrating concurrent validity. In addition, each of the RT-QoL components was able to distinguish between individuals based on their work status, with those who have returned to work reporting better health.

CONCLUSION: This more practical RT-QoL measure greatly increases the ability to evaluate long-term outcomes in trauma more efficiently and meaningfully, without sacrificing the validity and psychometric properties of the original instrument.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic and epidemiological, level III.

Author List

Herrera-Escobar JP, deRoon-Cassini T, Brasel K, Nehra D, Al Rafai SS, Toppo A, Kasotakis G, Velmahos G, Salim A, Haider AH

Author

Terri A. deRoon Cassini PhD Center Director, Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Aged
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Health Surveys
Humans
Injury Severity Score
Male
Middle Aged
Prospective Studies
Psychometrics
Quality of Life
Registries
Reproducibility of Results
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Time Factors
Wounds and Injuries