Using Preference-Based Measures to Assess Quality of Life in Stuttering

• Published in: Journal of speech, language, and hearing research language, and hearing research, 2006-04, Vol.49 (2), p.381-394
• Main Authors: Bramlett, Robin E, Bothe, Anne K, Franic, Duska M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Analysis; Analysis of Variance; Assessment; Attitude Measures; Behavioral Sciences; Case-Control Studies; Emotional Problems; Evaluation Methods; Female; Gender Differences; Health Conditions; Humans; Interaction; Interviews; Interviews as Topic; Life Satisfaction; Male; Measurement; Measurement Techniques; Mental Health; Outcomes of Treatment; Physical Health; Post Hoc Tests; Preferences; Psychometrics; Quality of Life; Rating Scales; Reliability; Reproducibility of Results; Sample Size; Scales; Severity of Illness Index; Speech disorders; Speech Language Pathology; Speech therapy; Statistical Analysis; Stuttering; Stuttering - psychology; Tests; Utility analysis
• ISSN: 1092-4388; 1558-9102
• DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2006/030)

Contact author: Robin E. Bramlett, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, 516 Aderhold Hall, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-7153. Email: bramletr{at}uga.edu PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether standard pharmaco-economic preference methods can be used to assess perceived quality of life in stuttering. METHOD: Seventy-five nonstuttering adults completed a standardized face-to-face interview that included a rating scale, standard gamble, and time trade-off preference measures for 4 health states (your health and mild, moderate, and severe stuttering) in the context of 2 anchor states (perfect health and death). RESULTS: Results showed mean utility values between .443 for severe stuttering estimated using the rating scale technique and .982 for respondents' own current health estimated using a standard gamble technique. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance and post hoc tests showed significant effects for method, health state, and the interaction. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm that utility estimates can differentiate between stuttering severity levels and that utility scores for stuttering conform to the known properties of data obtained using these standard measurement techniques. These techniques, therefore, can and should be further investigated as potential contributors to complete measurement protocols for the study and treatment of stuttering. KEY WORDS: stuttering, preferences, utility, quality of life, time trade-off, standard gamble, rating scale CiteULike     Connotea     Del.icio.us     Digg     Facebook     Reddit     Technorati     Twitter     What's this?