ASQoL Scale Tested for Measuring Change Among Patients With nr-axSpA

The Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) scale appears to be an appropriate outcome measure for interventional clinical trials of patients with nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), according to a study published in Quality of Life Research.

“The ASQoL scale is an 18-item dichotomous patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure allowing calculation of a total score ranging from 0 to 18, and was developed to assess the impact of interventions for ankylosing spondylitis on quality of life,” researchers explained. “There is no such PRO measure designed specifically for use in patients with nr-axSpA.”

The study evaluated the scale’s domain structure, scoring, reliability, validity, and responsiveness in patients with nr-axSpA with signs of inflammation. The analysis included 325 patients with active axial spondyloarthritis from the phase 3 RAPID-axSpA randomized controlled trial.

The ASQoL mean score demonstrated adequate reliability, validity, and ability to detect clinically meaningful change in patients with nr-axSpA with objective signs of inflammation, according to the study.

Response pattern evaluation revealed all items were well endorsed, with rates above 20% — a common boundary separating sufficient from insufficient endorsement, the authors explained. The lowest endorsement rates were for difficulties in washing hair (22.2%) and being unable to do chores (37%). Endorsement values were above 54% for all other items.

“This high endorsement for all but two items of the ASQoL as seen from the response pattern evaluation suggests that an additional response category on the high end of the response scale might increase sensitivity,” researchers advised.

They also pointed out the need for further studies with larger nr-axSpA cohorts to validate the ASQoL’s suitability for future clinical trials.

Reference:

Hoepken B, Serrano D, Harris K, Hwang MC, Reveille J. Validation of the ankylosing spondylitis quality of life assessment tool in patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Qual Life Res. 2021;30(3):945-954. doi:10.1007/s11136-020-02686-0