New study results show that a short questionnaire designed for adolescents to assess the impact of lupus on quality of life makes it easier for them to report their mental, physical, and social well-being.

The study of this questionnaire, Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Short Form (PROMIS-SF) – is funded by Lupus Foundation of America’s Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Research Program. It is led by Drs. Hermine Brunner, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and Jordan T. Jones, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City. 

Researchers used the short form with 100 adolescents and young adults with lupus between the ages of 10 and 20 and compared their responses to similar quality of life assessment tools.

The researchers reported that the short form was more flexible, efficient and easier to use compared with other tools to assess the impact of pediatric lupus. It also correlated favorably with other standardized tests of quality of life.

The short form took less than five minutes to administer and, compared with longer tests, reduced the burden on young adults for reporting how lupus symptoms affect their lives. Because it is more efficient to administer, the PROMIS-SF requires less time in the doctor’s office for busy young adults.

The PROMIS-SF study aims to better understand the impact of lupus on the quality of life of children and adolescents who have lupus. More information on the study can be found here.