Telephone-based assessment of fatigue and dyspnea in individuals with Parkinson's disease.

Abstract

To investigate the concurrent validity of the telephone-based assessment of the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea scale in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). The FSS and MRC Dyspnea Scale were applied twice, with an interval of one to two weeks between the assessments. The first assessment was carried out face-to-face and the second was via a telephone call. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (FSS score) and weighted Kappa statistic (FSS item score and MRC score) were used to investigate the agreement between face-to-face and telephone-based assessments (<i>α</i> = 5%). Sixty-seven individuals (66.8 ± 8.4 years) with PD were included. Significant agreement of very high magnitude was found for the FSS total score (ICC = 0.90; 95%CI = 0.84-0.94; <i>p</i> ≤ 0.001). Significant agreement from substantial to almost perfect magnitude was found for all FSS item scores (Kappa coefficients = 0.68-0.85; SE = 0.12; 95%CI = 0.44-1.09). A significant and almost perfect agreement was found for the MRC score (Kappa coefficients = 0.87; SE = 0.12; 95%CI = 0.64-1.11). The telephone-based assessment of the FSS and MRC Dyspnea Scale showed adequate concurrent validity for evaluating dyspnea and fatigue in individuals with PD. Therefore, telephone-based assessments of fatigue and dyspnea can be performed in these individuals using the FSS and MRC scale.Implications for rehabilitationThe Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) is a nine-item self-report measurement tool that measures the impact of fatigue on activities of daily living.The Medical Research Council (MRC) Dyspnea Scale consists of five statements, which measure how much dyspnea limits daily activities.Fatigue and dyspnea are common non-motor symptoms in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD), affecting their health and quality of life.Telephone administration of the FSS and MRC Dyspnea Scale has adequate validity in individuals with PD, supporting their use in both clinical practice and research.