ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: EQ-5D and SF-36 are two questionnaires used to measure health related quality of life (HRQoL). The responsiveness of these instruments has previously been evaluated in elderly populations with hip fracture but not in a younger population. The purpose was to evaluate the responsiveness of SF-36 and EQ-5D in a younger population with femoral neck fracture. METHODS: 182 patients aged 20-69 were consecutively included. HRQoL was measured by EQ-5D and SF-36 at 4, 12 and 24 months. Pain and function were measured by Harris Hip Score (HHS) on the same occasions. The responsiveness of EQ-5D and SF-36 was evaluated by calculation of two effect sizes; standardized effect size (SES) and standardized response mean (SRM), and by analysing how changes in score correlated to changes in function and subjective state of health. External responsiveness was also evaluated by calculating receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve. RESULTS: SES was large at four months for both EQ-5D and SF-36 (1.09 and 0.83 respectively) and moderate at the 12- and 24-month follow-ups. The correlation between changes (4-24 months) in HHS and changes in HRQoL were 0.44 for EQ-5D and 0.37 for SF-36. EQ-5D and SF-36 were both more sensitive than HHS in their ability to predict subjective improvements after a hip fracture. CONCLUSIONS: The effect sizes and the ability to follow and predict the external standard indicates that both EQ-5D and SF-36 have good internal and external responsiveness in this younger population with femoral neck fracture. The generic HRQoL questionnaires were superior to a hip-specific instrument in predicting the patients' subjective feelings of an improved state of health. EQ-5D is simple to administer and shows similar responsiveness as SF-36 and may be sufficient to use as an outcome measure in clinical trials.
