The Danish Translation of the Medicines-related Quality of Life (MRQoL) Scale From the Patient Perspective

Abstract BACKGROUND: Pharmacist interventions (PIs) have shown varying effect on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). However, the instruments used to measure HRQoL also lack sensitivity in detecting the effect in relation to PIs. In 2017 the Medicines-Related Quality of Life (MRQoL) scale was translated from Chinese into Danish, but the Danish MRQoL scale showed marked ceiling effects. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Danish MRQoL scale from a patient perspective using cognitive interviewing.SETTING: Polypharmacy patients in the capital region of Denmark.METHODS: Semi-structured cognitive interviews with patients (≥18 years) taking ≥5 medicines regularly were conducted. A purposive sampling strategy was applied recruiting from different locations in the Greater Copenhagen Area. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Patients’ thought processes when responding to the Danish MRQoL scale.RESULTS: Eight patients were interviewed. Two major themes emerged from the interviews: The role of the medicines in everyday life and Understanding and filling in the scale. The latter theme consisted of three sub-themes: Interpretations of the items, Recall period and Interpretation and use of scale possibilities. The patients did not think about their medicines when answering the scale Several items were interpreted differently by the patients and they used different recall periods. Some patients used the scale possibilities incorrectly, either by overstating or understating their answers, or simply to create variation in responses. CONCLUSION: Several reliability and validity issues where identified based on the interviews and further research is needed to develop more reliable and valid measurement tools to detect the effect of PIs on HRQoL.