Discriminant properties of commonly used quality of life measures in XXXX .

@entity1 @entity712 @entity299
Health-related quality of life (HRQL) instruments have been used to measure HRQL in @entity712 @entity1 , but how different instruments compare in the same groups of @entity1 is not known. The purpose of this study was to compare the reliability and validity of three HRQL measures in 211 @entity712 @entity1 recruited from clinics affiliated with an urban hospital. Two disease-specific instruments, the chronic @entity712 questionnaire (CHQ) and the living with @entity712 questionnaire (LHFQ), and one generic instrument, the short-form 12 (SF-12), were administered. @entity1 reported moderate to low HRQL scores. Floor or ceiling effects were noted in the disease-specific instruments. Internal consistency reliabilities of the CHQ and LHFQ were satisfactory. Construct, convergent, and discriminant validity were supported for each instrument. Each scale and subscale, except for the SF-12 mental component scale, differentiated between @entity1 with @entity299 ( @entity299 ) class I, II, and III plus IV; the LHFQ physical subscale was the only measure to differentiate between @entity1 with @entity299 class III and IV. All three instruments were satisfactory for measuring HRQL, but the disease-specific instruments were preferable to the generic instrument. The decision of which instrument to use depends on the purpose of the study.
