BACKGROUND:

The Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ) is a written, self-administered instrument measuring quality of life in IBD. We assessed the validity of an interactive voice response system (IVRS) as a new mode of administering the SIBDQ.

METHODS:

An IVRS was designed using prerecorded questions to collect data via touchtone telephone. Subjects with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) were randomized into 2 groups with different orders of administration: written, self-administered followed by IVRS (S-I) or IVRS followed by written, self-administered (I-S). Half of the S-I group was also randomized to receive a second IVRS. Sixty-four subjects were studied: 30 in S-I, 34 in I-S.

RESULTS:

The mean SIBDQ scores were not different between written and IVRS modes (P = 0.26) with r = 0.93. IVRS scores were lower in active than inactive CD (36.1 +/- 9.6 versus 54.7 +/- 8.6, P < 0.001) and lower in active than inactive UC (40.8 +/- 9.6 versus 59.8 +/- 10.0, P < 0.001). Mean scores correlated highly with disease activity indices, and were not different between first and second IVRS administrations (P = 0.85) with r = 0.92. IVRS had excellent internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.90).

CONCLUSIONS:

IVRS administration of the SIBDQ yields results similar to written self-administration, with excellent procedural validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency.