COPD

New Study Compares Feasibility of Available COPD Questionnaires

A recent study compared the ease of use and time to completion of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test (CAT) and the clinical COPD questionnaire (CCQ) and found that both tests effectively and efficiently assessed patients with COPD.

Both the CAT and CCQ are recommended by the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease, but there is little evidence on the feasibility of use for either questionnaire in a clinical setting.
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For their study, researchers compared the time it took 95 Dutch patients to complete the CAT and CCQ, and the acceptability of both tests, which was determined through participants’ answers to the following questions:

  • “How difficult was completing the questionnaire?”
  • “To what extent did you feel the questionnaire addressed all aspects of your disease?”
  • “To what degree do you think that the questionnaire gives relevant information about your disease to your doctor?”

The tests were administered 1 week apart, and agreement between the paper and electronic versions were assessed.

Researchers did not find any significant differences in patients’ time to complete the CAT (median time: 97.5 seconds and CCQ (median time: 99.6 seconds).

In addition, participants did not report differences between the CCQ and CAT for the “easiness to complete” or “importance of issues raised in questionnaires” questions. Of the 78 participants who completed the questionnaire preference question, 79.5% reported no preference for either of the questionnaires, 16.7% preferred the CCQ, and 3.8% preferred the CAT.

Further, the electronic and paper versions of the CCQ and CAT showed high agreement.

“Based on this study it can be concluded that both questionnaires are equally suitable for use in routine clinical practice, because they are both quick to complete and have a good acceptability by the patient,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Kocks JWH, Blom CMG, Kasteleyn MJ, et al. Feasibility and applicability of the paper and electronic COPD assessment test (CAT) and the clinical COPD questionnaire (CCQ) in primary care: a clinimetric study [published online March 28, 2017]. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med. doi:10.1038/s41533-017-0023-0.