Assessment of the health status of 2499 dermatological outpatients using the 12-item Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-12) questionnaire

Summary Background  In dermatological research and clinical practice it is important to evaluate the burden of the disease. Objective  To assess whether the 12‐item Short Form of the Medical Outcomes Study (SF‐12) could yield a valid description of the health status of a large number of dermatologic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of dermatology (1951) 2011-12, Vol.165 (6), p.1190-1196
Main Authors: Tabolli, S., Spagnoli, A., di Pietro, C., Pagliarello, C., Paradisi, A., Sampogna, F., Abeni, D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Dermatology
Medical sciences
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Summary:Summary Background  In dermatological research and clinical practice it is important to evaluate the burden of the disease. Objective  To assess whether the 12‐item Short Form of the Medical Outcomes Study (SF‐12) could yield a valid description of the health status of a large number of dermatological outpatients. Methods  The SF‐12 and the 12‐item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12) were utilized. Questionnaires were self‐completed by the outpatients in the waiting rooms. At the end of the visit the dermatologists recorded the diagnosis and the evaluation of the clinical severity. Results  Data were complete for 2499 patients. We observed a reduction in the Physical Component Summary score (PCS‐12) with increasing age, while the Mental Component Summary score (MCS‐12) was stable. PCS‐12 and MCS‐12 scores were worse in women. Twenty‐three per cent of patients were identified as GHQ‐12 positive. GHQ‐12‐positive patients (‘cases’) had lower PCS‐12 and MCS‐12 scores compared with GHQ‐12‐negative patients (mean ± SD, PCS‐12: 47·9 ± 10·8 vs. 52·2 ± 6·6; MCS‐12: 35·2 ± 10·2 vs. 50·9 ± 78·3, respectively). High correlations between the MCS‐12 score and the GHQ‐12 were documented overall (−0·690, P 
ISSN:0007-0963
1365-2133
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10532.x