Agreement Of Two Instruments For Assessing Quality Of Life In Dermatology

The study examined the relationship between two dermatology-specific quality of life instruments, the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Skindex-16, in 62 patients with skin diseases. The total scores of DLQI and Skindex-16 showed a strong correlation (r=0.87; p<0.001). Significant correlations were found between the total DLQI score and Skindex-16 subscales for symptoms, emotions, and functioning (r=0.53, r=0.77, and r=0.86, respectively). While the Skindex-16 total score did not correlate with the DLQI treatment subscale, it did correlate with DLQI subscales for symptoms and feelings, daily activities, leisure activities, work or school, and personal relationships (r=0.67, r=0.80, r=0.66, r=0.62, and r=0.68, respectively). The study concluded that using both instruments together could provide complementary data for assessing the quality of life in patients with skin diseases.