Measuring the impact of venous leg ulcers on quality of life

Objective: To identify health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) issues in patients with venous leg ulcers, with the aim of generating items for a treatment outcome measure. Method: Thirty-eight patients with venous leg ulcers were interviewed by a psychologist using a semi-structured guide; they also completed a HRQoL questionnaire (modified Skindex). Data from the questionnaire were examined to explore the impact of venous leg ulcers on patients’ lives. Interview transcripts were analysed using qualitative methods to identify additional venous leg ulcer-specific HRQoL items. Results: Skindex scores indicated that older patients had worse HRQoL (pConclusion: Disease-specific HRQoL outcome measures should be considered when evaluating treatments for venous leg ulcers. Declaration of interest: This study was funded by Pfizer, Sandwich, UK.