Comparing Interviewer and Self-Administered Questionnaires for Quality of Life in AIDS Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Milo Puhan, Alka Ahuja, Mark L. Van Natta, Lori E. Ackatz, Curtis Meinert
Primary Institution: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Hypothesis
Does the administration format of health-related quality of life questionnaires affect the results in patients with AIDS?
Conclusion
The study found that the administration format does not have a meaningful effect on repeated measurements of patient-reported outcomes.
Supporting Evidence
- 70% of visits used self-administered questionnaires.
- Statistically significant differences were found for ocular pain but did not exceed the threshold of 0.2 SD.
- Adjusted differences for all instruments were below 0.2 SD.
Takeaway
This study shows that it doesn't really matter if you fill out health surveys yourself or have someone ask you the questions; the results are pretty much the same.
Methodology
Participants completed various health-related quality of life questionnaires every six months using either self- or interviewer-administration, and linear models were used to compare scores.
Potential Biases
Potential for social desirability bias in self-reported outcomes.
Limitations
The study lacked randomization for administration format, which may introduce residual confounding.
Participant Demographics
The sample was predominantly male (80.6%) with a median age of 43.1 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.03 for some comparisons
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.2, 6.8 for ocular pain
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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