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Validation of a Quality-of-Life Instrument for Patients With Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
John S. Rhee, MD, MPH;
B. Alex Matthews, PhD;
Marcy Neuburg, MD;
Brent R. Logan, PhD;
Mary Burzynski, RN;
Ann B. Nattinger, MD, MPH
Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2006;8:314-318.
Objective To validate a disease-specific quality-of-life instrument—the Skin Cancer Index—intended to measure quality-of-life issues relevant to patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer.
Methods Internal reliability, convergent and divergent validity with existing scales, and factor analyses were performed in a cross-sectional study of 211 patients presenting with cervicofacial nonmelanoma skin cancer to a dermatologic surgery clinic.
Results Factor analyses of the Skin Cancer Index confirmed a multidimensional scale with 3 distinct subscales—emotional, social, and appearance. Excellent internal validity of the 3 subscales was demonstrated. Substantial evidence was observed for convergent validity with the Dermatology Life Quality Index, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Lerman's Cancer Worry Scale, and Medical Outcomes Survey Short-Form 12 domains for vitality, emotion, social function, and mental health.
Conclusions These findings validate a new disease-specific quality-of-life instrument for patients with cervicofacial nonmelanoma skin cancer. Studies on the responsiveness of the Skin Cancer Index to clinical intervention are currently under way.
Author Affiliations: Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences (Dr Rhee and Ms Burzynski), Health Policy Institute, Center for Patient Care and Outcomes Research (Drs Matthews and Nattinger), Division of Biostatistics (Dr Logan), and Department of Dermatology (Dr Neuburg), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
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Rhee and McMullin
Arch Facial Plast Surg 2008;10:194-207.
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