Le Multiple Sclerosis International Quality of Life questionnaire (MusiQoL) est un nouveau questionnaire multidimensionnel ayant bénéficié d’un co-développement dans 17 pays. Nous présentons les principales propriétés psychométriques de la version française de l’outil.

Les sujets présentaient un diagnostic de sclérose en plaques (critères de MacDonald). Les données suivantes ont été recueillies à T0 (inclusion) : histoire de la maladie, forme clinique, degré du handicap, fonction cognitive et qualité de vie. À T1 (21±7 jours plus tard), la qualité de vie était de nouveau documentée, ainsi que l’évolution de la maladie par rapport à T0. MusiQoL comprend 31 questions décrivant neuf dimensions (activités de la vie quotidienne, bien-être psychologique, relations avec les amis, symptômes, relations avec la famille, relations avec le système de soins, vie sentimentale et sexuelle, coping, rejet).

Cent soixante-dix neuf sujets ont été inclus. L’étude de la validité de structure interne, de la validité externe, de la reproductibilité et de l’acceptabilité indique que l’outil répond aux standards usuellement admis.

La version française du MusiQoL apparaît comme un outil valide, reproductible et aisément utilisable. La participation simultanée de plusieurs pays dans le processus de développement permet de disposer d’un outil commun d’évaluation, utile dans le cadre de projets de recherche d’envergure internationale.

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) measurements have become an important outcome both for population health assessment and for evaluating treatments and care management. HRQL indicators require completion of a well-validated questionnaire. Few specific questionnaires are available for French multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The Multiple Sclerosis International Quality of Life questionnaire (MusiQoL), a self-administered and multidimensional questionnaire, was co-developed and validated in 17 countries, including France. We report the main results of the French clinical validity of this instrument.

The French patients were recruited between January 2004 and February 2005. The main inclusion criteria were: diagnosis of MS according to McDonald criteria, age over 18 years, having given informed consent. The self-administered survey materials that were completed by the patients included the MusiQoL, the generic HRQL questionnaire SF36, and one checklist of 14 MS-specific symptoms reported by the patients. MusiQoL comprises 31 items describing nine dimensions: activity of daily living (eight items), psychological well-being (four), symptoms (three), friends relationships (four), family relationships (three), satisfaction with health care (three), sentimental and sexual life (two), coping (two), and rejection (two). A global index score is computed. Patients were evaluated at inclusion (T0), and retested 21±7 days later (T1). At T0, an experienced neurologist collected sociodemographic data, clinical history related or unrelated to the MS condition, treatments. At T1, change in the patient’s health status from T0 was reported.

The analyses were performed with data from 179 subjects. The mean patient age was 44.1 years (SD: 11.5); there were 120 women and 59 men, 58.1% were unemployed, 13.6% had a tertiary educational level. MS clinical forms were 69 relapsing-remitting, 47 secondary-progressive, 37 primary-progressive, and nine clinically isolated syndrome. The EDSS median was 4.5 (25-75^th percentiles: 2.5–6.0). The final French version showed satisfactory psychometric properties (external validity, internal consistency, reliability, reproducibility, and acceptability).

The availability of a reliable and valid French version of MusiQoL, a self-administered and multidimensional questionnaire, co-developed in different countries, enables evaluation of QoL in French MS patients that are eligible for international multicenter studies.