The ePedsQL in type 1 and type 2 diabetes: feasibility, reliability, and validity of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Internet administration.

OBJECTIVE: The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) is a modular instrument designed to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and adolescents aged 2-18 years. The PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales are child self-report and parent proxy-report scales developed as the generic core measure to be integrated with the PedsQL disease-specific modules. The electronic version of the PedsQL 4.0 (ePedsQL) was designed for Internet administration.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Utilizing a randomized crossover design, the PedsQL scales were administered to 92 pediatric patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and 93 parents in electronic and paper formats.

RESULTS: Missing values (0.76% child report, 0.37% parent report), internal consistency reliability (total scale score alpha = 0.90 child report, 0.92 parent report), and mean scores (total scale score M = 78.41 child report, 76.19 parent report) were equivalent between the electronic and paper-and-pencil modes of administration. The ePedsQL distinguished between healthy children and children with diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS: The ePedsQL Internet mode of administration demonstrated equivalent measurement properties to the well-established PedsQL paper-and-pencil mode of administration.