Comprehensive tool measuring chronic condition burden shows reliable results compared to surveys

Researchers have evaluated the Assessment of Burden of Chronic Conditions (ABCC) scale, which was developed to improve care by facilitating shared decision making and self-management. The scale assesses and visualizes the patient’s experience of one or multiple chronic conditions, and integrates it in daily care. The researchers determined it is valid and reliable in people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma or type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). They compared the ABCC scale with other clinical questionnaires to assess validity, consistency and reliability.

A total of 65, 62 and 60 people with COPD, asthma and T2DM, respectively, were included in the study. The ABCC scale correlated higher than the cut-off point for construct validity in 75% of the comparisons with the Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire; 100% of the comparisons with the Standardized Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (100%); and 75% of the comparisons with the Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life Questionnaire. The team also found the ABCC scale was internally consistent and had good test-retest reliability for people with the three chronic conditions. They concluded that the ABCC scale is a valid and reliable questionnaire that can be used within the ABCC tool for people with COPD, asthma or T2DM. They recommend that future research determine whether this applies to people with multimorbidity, and what the effects and experiences are upon clinical use.

Currently, most existing questionnaires in clinical practice focus on measuring a patient’s quality of life with respect to a single disease, failing to include the full scope of burden of disease from multiple, chronic conditions.

The Assessment of Burden of Chronic Conditions tool, which was designed to measure burden of disease, and to facilitate shared decision making, self-management and patient-health care physician communication about experienced burden and burden-guided care plans, is a valid and reliable questionnaire that can be used among people with COPD, asthma or T2DM.

The study is published in The Annals of Family Medicine journal.

More information:
Danny Claessens et al, Validity and Reliability of the Assessment of Burden of Chronic Conditions Scale in the Netherlands, The Annals of Family Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1370/afm.2954

Journal information:
Annals of Family Medicine

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