Short Health Scale: a valid and reliable measure of quality of life in Dutch speaking patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Objectives: Patient reported outcomes are widely used in today's clinical practice. The Short Health Scale has been proven to be an easy-to-use and reliable measure to evaluate quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We aimed to validate this Short Health Scale in Dutch speaking patients.Methods: A total of 157 Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients (46% male, median age 39years) completed the Short Health Scale on a tablet during the outpatient clinic. Validity was assessed by correlating both individual and total Short Health Scale scores with short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire dimensions and clinical disease activity. Test-retest reliability was assessed in eight patients in stable remission who completed the Short Health Scale a second time after 4-8weeks.Results: All Short Health Scale items correlated with corresponding short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire dimensions (correlation coefficients ranging from -0.403 to -0.833, all p<.01). Short Health Scale scores increased stepwise with increasing clinical disease activity (all p<.001). The results of the Short Health Scale questionnaire remained stable on repeated measurements in patients in remission (r(s) between 0.699 and 0.994, all p<.01 except for well-being).Conclusions: The Short health Scale is a rapid and valid instrument for measuring quality of life in Dutch speaking patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Its simplicity and usability make it a good candidate for routine care and suitable for home-monitoring of patients.