Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To develop a valid and reliable outcome measure for patients with varicose veins.

DESIGN:

Postal questionnaire survey of patients with varicose veins.

SETTING:

Surgical outpatient departments and training general practices in Grampian region.

SUBJECTS:

373 patients, 287 of whom had just been referred to hospital for their varicose veins and 86 who had just consulted a general practitioner for this condition and, for comparison, a random sample of 900 members of the general population.

MAIN MEASURES:

Content validity, internal consistency, and criterion validity.

RESULTS:

281(76%) patients (mean age 45.8; 76% female) and 542(60%) of the general population (mean age 47.9; 54% female) responded. The questionnaire had good internal consistency as measured by item-total correlations. Factor analysis identified four important health factors: pain and dysfunction, cosmetic appearance, extent of varicosity and complications. The validity of the questionnaire was demonstrated by a high correlation with the SF-36 health profile, which is a general measure of patients' health. The perceived health of patients with varicose veins, as measured by the SF-36, was significantly lower than that of the sample of the general population adjusted for age and a lower proportion of women.

CONCLUSION:

A clinically derived questionnaire can provide a valid and reliable tool to assess the perceived health of patients with varicose veins.

IMPLICATIONS:

The questionnaire may be used to justify surgical treatment of varicose veins.