Maryam Saba - PhD Candidate, Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Shahin Goharpey - Assistant Professor, Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Behrouz Attarbashi Moghadam - Associate Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, School of Rehabilitation, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Reza Salehi - Associate Professor, Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Sayed Mohammadreza Afshani - Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Disease, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

BACKGROUND: Decision making and the quality of care provided for ‎chronic diseases have been shown to improve through patient participation. The HeartQoL questionnaire is a core health-related quality of life (HRQOL) tool specifically designed for individuals with ischemic heart disease (IHD) who have undergone interventions such as cardiac rehabilitation (CR).METHODS: In this observational and multicenter study, ۱۵۰ patients were recruited. The participants completed the HeartQoL, MacNew Heart Disease Questionnaire,‎ and Short Form Health Survey ‎(SF-۳۶) on entering CR for validity assessment. The HeartQoL along with a Global Rating of Change (GRoC) scale (for responsiveness measurement) were completed by ۱۰۰ participants ۳ months later.RESULTS: The mean age of all participants in validity assessment was ۶۱.۸۷ ± ۸.۱۳ years. Cronbach’s alphas of the total scales ranged from ۰.۷۰ to ۰.۸۱ and of the subscales from ۰.۷۰ to ۰.۸۲. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine construct validity; similar constructs were confirmed with correlation coefficients ranging from ۰.۵۰ to ۰.۶۹ and dissimilar constructs with correlation coefficients ranging from ۰.۲۸ to ۰.۲۹ (P < ۰.۰۱۰). The assessment of the responsiveness of the questionnaire indicated that the area under curve (AUC) was greater than ۰.۷۰ (range: ۰.۷۴ to ۰.۹۱) and the optimal cut-off point was ۰.۶۵.CONCLUSION: The Persian version of the HeartQoL questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties in the sample of participants admitted to CR after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The present study results showed that the HRQOL can be used by clinicians and researchers‎ in conjunction with other outcome measures to gain additional information about symptoms relevant to HRQOL in patients referred to CR and to evaluate change over time. 

Health-Related Quality of Life, Outcomes Assessment, Validity, Cardiac Rehabilitation