Measuring treatment satisfaction in patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases receiving lifelong immunoglobulin replacement therapy

Background: Treatment satisfaction of patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases receiving hospital-based intravenous (IVIG) or home-based subcutaneous (SCIG) immunoglobulin infusions requires investigation. Objective: Evaluation of the properties and suitability of the Life Quality Index (LQI), as an instrument to assess treatment satisfaction. Methods: Patients received weekly SCIG and completed the LQI, two global treatment satisfaction questions and the CHQ-PF50 (children) or the SF-36 (adults) at baseline and 10 months. The LQI was psychometrically evaluated. Results: The LQI comprised four scales: treatment interference (I), therapy related problems (II), therapy setting (III), treatment costs (IV). Convergent/discriminant validity for scales I, II, III was acceptable, for scale IV moderate. CHQ-PF50 scales behavior, bodily pain, global behavior, global health, mental health, parental impact-emotion significantly correlated with LQI scale II, the family activity scale with LQI scales I, III. SF-36 scale bodily pain significantly correlated with scale III. Internal consistency was good for scales I, II, III, but poor for scale IV. Score values significantly increased for scales I, III, IV in patients switching from IVIG to SCIG. Conclusions: Three valid LQI scales were determined. Cost-related questions should be removed due to low reliability. Patients-perceived therapy effectiveness and patient-physician/nurse interaction should be included in the instrument.