Functional dyspepsia: Validation and results of a novel survey instrument to evaluate patient knowledge and perceptions.

BACKGROUND

Patients' knowledge and perceptions of functional dyspepsia (FD) may affect illness behavior and healthcare utilization.

AIMS: To develop, validate, and administer a survey instrument to assess symptoms, knowledge, and fears in FD patients.

METHODS

A 66-item questionnaire was generated. Items assessed domains of etiology, diagnosis, natural history, and fears. Face and content validity were established through expert review and a patient focus group. After validation, questionnaires were mailed to a separate group of FD patients. Responses were analyzed using scales and means.

RESULTS

For survey validation, 66 of 80 patients (83%) returned both surveys. Internal consistency was good for most scale level measures (alpha=0.50 to 0.90). Reliability coefficients were good for measures of symptom assessment (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.75 to 0.89) and consulting behaviors (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.76 to 0.89). After survey validation, an additional 223 (62.8%) questionnaires were returned. Misperceptions were noted in the domains of etiology, diagnosis, treatment and risks of FD. Forty-eight percent of the respondents believed FD increases the risk of developing an ulcer and 32% believed there was an increased risk of developing stomach or colon cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

This novel questionnaire demonstrated good validity and reliability in FD patients, and identified significant misperceptions about the etiology, evaluation, treatment, and natural history of FD.