Cross‐European validation of the ItchyQoL in pruritic dermatoses

• Published in: Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 391 - 397
• Main Authors: Zeidler, C., Steinke, S., Riepe, C., Bruland, P., Soto‐Rey, I., Storck, M., Garcovich, S., Blome, C., Bobko, S., Legat, F.J., Potekaev, N., Lvov, A., Misery, L., Weger, W., Reich, A., Şavk, E., Streit, M., Serra‐Baldrich, E., Szepietowski, J.C., Yosipovitch, G., Chen, S.C., Dugas, M., Ständer, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-02-2019
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Europe; Female; Humans; International Cooperation; Male; Middle Aged; Pruritus - diagnosis; Pruritus - psychology; Psychometrics; Quality of Life - psychology; Risk Assessment; Severity of Illness Index; Skin Diseases - pathology; Skin Diseases - psychology; Young Adult; Europe
• ISSN: 0926-9959; 1468-3083
• DOI: 10.1111/jdv.15225

Background
Chronic pruritus (CP) is a frequently occurring symptom in inflammatory dermatoses, causing a high burden and limitations to health‐related quality of life (HRQoL).
Objective
The ItchyQoL was developed to assess the impairment to HRQoL in patients with CP. However, it has only been validated in English and German. Here, we report the validation in several languages across Europe.
Methods
After professional translation, the versions of ItchyQoL were digitized for use as a tablet application. Validation was performed in clinics for dermatology in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey.
Results
Five hundred and thirty‐five patients with either contact dermatitis, chronic prurigo – nodular type, psoriasis vulgaris, lichen planus or mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome and with CP ≥ 3 on the numerical rating scale were included. ItchyQoL showed a high level of consistency (Cronbach's‐α, all: 0.95) and test‐retest reliability (intraclass correlation: 0.91). It strongly correlated with the Dermatology Life Quality Index (r = 0.72, P < 0.001) and moderately correlated with itch intensity scales in the study population (visual analogue scale r = 0.46; numerical rating scale r = 0.51; verbal rating scale r = 0.51, for all: P < 0.001).
Conclusion
ItchyQoL is now also validated in French, Italian, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Turkish and can be used in clinical trials in countries speaking these languages.