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Dr Allen and colleagues from Australia developed, validated and applied a questionnaire directed towards evaluating these disease aspects. The team performed a literature review on disability in IBD, and opinion about aspects of disability to measure was sought from 6 IBD-specialized gastroenterologists. The team developed, and IBD patients completed the new disability questionnaire, the SF-36 and the short-IBD. A subgroup of patients completed the questionnaire again 4 weeks later.  | | There was an inverse correlation between the disability score, and the SF36 | | Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics |
The researchers studied healthy volunteers as a control group. A total of 116 IBD out-patients were approached, of whom 81 participated. The team re-evaluted 19 patients at 4 weeks. The research team studied 25 controls. The team of doctors noted that all subscales demonstrated good Cronbach's alpha reliability, and reproducibility. There was a significant inverse correlation between the disability score and the SIBDQ, and between the disability score and the SF36, and a positive correlation with the Crohn's Disease Activity Index. Disability differed between ulcerative colitis and controls, but not between active and inactive disease. Dr Allen's team concluded, "The new disability questionnaire is sensitive for detecting disability, is reliable and reproducible, and correlates with disease activity in Crohn's disease, but not ulcerative colitis." "Further prospective testing is now needed in the longer term, larger patient populations and in different countries and ethnicities."
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