Jornal Vascular Brasileiro
https://jvascbras.org/article/doi/10.1590/1677-5449.202301092
Jornal Vascular Brasileiro
Original Article

A comparison of the tablet-based and paper-based versions of the Aberdeen varicose vein questionnaire for quality-of-life assessment in patients with chronic venous disease

Comparação entre as versões em tablet e em papel do Questionário de Veias Varicosas de Aberdeen para avaliação da qualidade de vida de pacientes com doença venosa crônica

Daiane Taís Schlindwein Albernaz; Luiz Fernando Albernaz; Fabricio Santiago; Fernanda Rita Zignani; Luís Gustavo Trindade Barroso; Alexandre Reis e Silva; Yung-Wei Chi

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Abstract

Background: The Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaire (AVVQ) is the most widely-used questionnaire to assess chronic venous disease. Because the first item requires patients to agree to draw their veins, its paper form has been called into question leading to the development of a tablet version that has simplified its application. However, the literature still lacks a comparison of these tools.

Objectives: To compare agreement between scores, questionnaire completion time, and user-friendliness between paper-based and tablet-based versions of the AVVQ.

Methods: In a prospective, multicenter trial, consecutive patients were asked to complete paper-based and tablet-based versions of the AVVQ. Scores, questionnaire completion time, data entry time, and degree of user difficulty were compared.

Results: Data were collected from 88 patients, 22.7% had completed primary school and 43.2% had higher education. Most patients (88.6%) reported that the tablet version was easy to use. Median time to complete the questionnaire and compute scores was 4 minutes for the tablet version and 9.5 minutes for the paper version (p<0.001). Mean AVVQ scores obtained by patients did not differ significantly between the two groups (p=0.431).

Conclusions: In this study, paper and tablet versions of the AVVQ yielded similar scores, with the tablet version saving time when considering the entire process needed to apply the questionnaire and compute data.

Keywords

venous disease, varicose veins, quality of life questionnaires, Aberdeen varicose vein questionnaire, digital app

Resumo

Contexto: O Questionário de Veias Varicosas de Aberdeen (AVVQ) é o questionário mais amplamente utilizado para avaliar doença venosa crônica. Como o primeiro item exige que os pacientes concordem em desenhar suas veias, sua versão em papel foi questionada, levando ao desenvolvimento de uma versão em tablet que simplificou sua aplicação. No entanto, a literatura ainda carece de uma comparação dessas ferramentas.

Objetivos: Comparar a concordância entre as pontuações, o tempo de preenchimento do questionário e a facilidade de uso entre as versões em papel e em tablet do Questionário de Veias Varicosas de Aberdeen (AVVQ).

Métodos: Em um ensaio multicêntrico prospectivo, foi solicitado que pacientes consecutivos completassem versões em papel e em tablet do AVVQ. As pontuações, os tempos de preenchimento, o tempo para inserção de dados e o grau de dificuldade do usuário foram comparados.

Resultados: Os dados de 88 pacientes foram coletados, dos quais 22,7% tinham ensino fundamental completo e 43,2% tinham ensino superior completo. A maioria dos pacientes (88,6%) relatou facilidade de uso da versão em tablet. O tempo mediano para completar o questionário e computar as pontuações foi de 4 minutos para a versão em tablet e de 9,5 minutos para a versão em papel (p < 0,001). A pontuação média do AVVQ obtida pelos pacientes não apresentou diferença significativa entre os dois grupos (p = 0,431).

Conclusões: Neste estudo, as versões em papel e em tablet do AVVQ obtiveram pontuações semelhantes, sendo que a versão em tablet apresentou economia de tempo ao considerar o processo completo necessário para aplicar e computar os dados do questionário.

Palavras-chave

doença venosa; veias varicosas; questionários sobre qualidade de vida; questionário de veias varicosas de Aberdeen; aplicativo digital

References

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Submitted date:
07/06/2023

Accepted date:
07/02/2024

Sociedade Brasileira de Angiologia e Cirurgia Vascular (SBACV)"> Sociedade Brasileira de Angiologia e Cirurgia Vascular (SBACV)">
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