Validation of a vascular access specific quality of life measure (VASQoL)

Richarz, Sabine and Greenwood, Sharon and Kingsmore, David B and Thomson, Peter C and Dunlop, Mark and Bouamrane, Matt-Mouley and Meiklem, Ramsay and Stevenson, Karen (2023) Validation of a vascular access specific quality of life measure (VASQoL). The Journal of Vascular Access, 24 (4). pp. 702-714. ISSN 1724-6032 (https://doi.org/10.1177/11297298211046746)

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Abstract

Background A self-administered 11 item Vascular Access Specific Quality of Life Measure (VASQoL) was previously derived from detailed qualitative interviews with adult patients with kidney failure who have experienced vascular access using the Capabilities Approach as a theoretical base1. This study reports the psychometric validation of the VASQoL measure including its reliability, content validity and responsiveness to change. Methods Cognitive interviews were conducted with 23 adult patients with kidney failure after completion of the VASQoL measure. Focus group discussion with a vascular access professional multidisciplinary team was undertaken (n=8) and subsequently a further 101 adult kidney failure patients with vascular access (TCVC, AVF or AVG) completed the digital VASQoL measure, EQ-5D and SF-36 questionnaires in a longitudinal study with prospectively recorded vascular access events. Results Transcript analysis of cognitive interviews after VASQoL completion indicated that the content was comprehensive and well understood by participants. Assessment of Internal reliability for the VASQoL measure was high (Cronbach’s alpha 0.858). Test-retest reliability of the overall VASQoL measure was high (intra class correlation coefficient 0.916). In those patients who experienced a vascular access event, significant differences were observed in paired analysis of the VASQoL physical domain questions and vascular access function domain questions and in the EQ-5D usual activities, pain and anxiety domains. In those with no vascular access event, variation was observed in longitudinal analysis in VASQoL questions relating to worry about VA function and capability domains, whilst no variation was observed in the EQ5D measure. Conclusion The VASQoL measure has good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity and responsiveness to change for clinically relevant vascular access outcomes. This provides a validated, vascular access specific quality of life measure that can be used in future trials of vascular access, evaluation of new technologies and routine use as a patient reported outcome measure (PROM).

ORCID iDs

Richarz, Sabine, Greenwood, Sharon, Kingsmore, David B, Thomson, Peter C, Dunlop, Mark ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4593-1103, Bouamrane, Matt-Mouley, Meiklem, Ramsay ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7713-9794 and Stevenson, Karen;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)