Development of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory

Describes the development of a 99-item epilepsy HRQOL inventory that includes the SF-36 as its core. Also included are 9 additional generic items, 48 epilepsy-targeted items, and 6 items concerning attitudes toward epilepsy and self-esteem. The inventory was administered to 304 adults at 25 epilepsy centers. Using a multitrait scaling analysis, 17 scales were developed that retained 86 items in those multi-item scales, and three single items. Validity analyses indicated that the epilepsy-targeted factors were more sensitive to categorization of patients by seizure frequency and type than scales tapping physical health, mental health, or cognitive function. The resulting Quality of Life in Epilepsy (QOLIE-89) inventory is more sensitive than a general measure of HRQOL and thus is more valuable for studying the impact of various procedures or drugs on the course of patients with epilepsy.