AQoL-4D questionnaire

Algorithms

Population Norms

AQoL-4D Structure diagram

Conceptualisation:

• WHO concept of Handicap.

Description:

• 4 separately scored dimensions, each with 3 items.

• A simple global ‘utility’ score

Dimensions:

• Independent Living - self-care, household tasks and mobility;

• Relationships - friendships, isolation and family role;

• Mental Health- sleeping, worrying and pain.

• Senses - seeing, hearing and communication.

Construction

Descriptive System:

• Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the construction item bank completed by a representative sample of 112 members of the public across SEIFA groups and 143 hospital patients.

• Items were collected from 14 independent Qol scales, iterative consultations with clinicians, researchers and population focus groups.

Scaling System:

• TTO interviews were done with 350 randomly selected members of the public across SEIFA groups to determine utility weights for items, dimensions and AQoL “all worst”

• Multiplicative models to combine items into dimensions

• Multiplicative model to combine dimensions into a global index

Timing:

• AQoL-4D takes about 1-2 minutes to complete.

Research team:

• J Richardson (team leader), G Hawthorne, H McNeil