Development of the CDQL: a comprehensive quality of life measure for patients with contact dermatitis (Preprint)
BACKGROUND There is limited measurement and reporting of quality of life (QoL) outcomes in contact dermatitis (CD). OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to develop a standardized Contact Dermatitis Quality of Life index (CDQL). METHODS A list of 81 topics was compiled from review of QoL measures used previously in CD research. Two rounds of online Delphi surveys were sent to registrants of the 2018 American Contact Dermatitis Society meeting, asking that physicians rank the relevance of topics for measuring QoL in CD using a 4-point scale. Items met consensus for inclusion if at least 78% ranked them as relevant or very relevant and their median score was ≥3.25. RESULTS Thirty-four physicians completed the initial survey and 17 completed the follow-up survey. A total of 22 topics met consensus for inclusion in the CDQL, addressing symptoms, emotions, functions of daily living, social and physical functions, work/school functions, and treatment. CONCLUSIONS The study was limited by few open-ended questions in the initial survey, lack of direct patient feedback, and long survey length, which likely contributed to lower survey participation. The CDQL is a comprehensive, CD-specific QoL measure developed on the basis of expert consensus via a modified Delphi process.