Barbara Gandek's research while affiliated with University of Massachusetts Medical School and other places

... The SF-6D is a preference-based HSU instrument that was developed based on 11 items of the Short Form-36, which was designed to measure 6 dimensions of HRQoL: physical functioning, role limitation, social functioning, pain, mental health, and vitality [20]. SF-6Dv2 is a new instrument that was developed based on 10 items of SF-36 to overcome some limitations of SF-6D [21,36]. By far, limited empirical evidence is available regarding its relative performance against the original SF-6D [37]. ...

... Item response theory (IRT) methods can be used to calibrate any number of items measuring the same latent construct on a common metric, resulting in an IRT-calibrated item bank [14,15]. Such item banks typically include items relevant to various patient populations of interest, allowing for comparisons of scores across different customized item subsets such as population-specific short forms [9,16,17]. Moreover, IRT calibration enables computerized adaptive testing (CAT), that is, the automatized individualization of administered items during assessment [18]. ...

... The SF-36 questionnaire, used to assess quality of life, is comprised of 36 items, grouped into eight scales: (1) physical functioning, (2) role limitations due to physical health problems, (3) role limitations due to personal or emotional problems, (4) emotional well-being, (5) energy/fatigue, (6) social functioning, (7) bodily pain, and (8) general health perceptions. Scores are coded, summed, and transformed onto a scale of 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better self-assessed health and well-being [35,36]. As a guide, a five-point difference between group scores is clinically and socially relevant [35]. ...

... In addition to sociodemographic variables and the presence of a comorbid chronic respiratory condition (asthma and/ or COPD), known to lower HRQOL [23] and increase the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, both sampling groups (probability sample and opt-in sample) were administered the same survey modules in the following order: new generic QGEN ® items under development [24] (not analysed here); standardised checklist for comorbid conditions [25]; SF-36 HRQOL Survey [23]; ratings of health now versus 3 months ago; acute respiratory symptoms; and impact of COVID-19 outbreak on personal life (not included as covariate). In addition to the above 94 items, as many as 72 additional items (median = 6) measured the HRQOL impact attributed to each chronic respiratory condition present. ...

... During treatment, quality of life was impaired. On the other hand, after reaching SVR, the quality of life of these patients was improved compared to their status before reaching SVR [17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. To date, there are no studies which examined the effect of DAAs on the long-term quality of life of these patients. ...

... [24,26] This adaptive logic is the next step when more reliable individualized estimates (e.g., likelihood of treatment relief ) are needed [16]. Feasibility, respondent burden reduction, and clinical utility of such adaptive logic were supported in a national registry pilot study before and after joint replacement, where responsiveness and high correlations between QDIS-OA, QDIS-MCC, and generic PCS outcomes were statistically significant despite a very small sample [83]. Other findings suggest there are points beyond which additional measurement precision may not be worth the burden and cost [26,41]. ...