INTRODUCTION: There is no disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) tool devoted to traumatic brain injury (TBI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Over 1500 TBI patients from 10 countries filled out a preliminary version of the QOLIBRI taking TBI specificities into account. 3 successive versions and consecutive statistical analyses were necessary to get a psychometrically-reliable tool. RESULTS: The QOLIBRI final version, filled out in 15 min, consists of 2 parts. The first part assesses satisfaction with HRQoL and is composed of 6 overall items and 29 items allocated to 4 subscales: thinking, feelings, autonomy and social aspects. The second part, devoted to "bothered" questions, is composed of 12 items in 2 subscales: negative feelings and restrictions. The 6 subscales meet standard psychometric criteria. In addition, 2 items evaluate medical-oriented aspects. The questionnaire is validated in German, Finnish, Italian, French, English, Dutch. CONCLUSION: TBI patients may now be assessed, beyond more "objective" measures including handicap and recovery, with a new measure of assessing the TBI patient's own opinion on his/her HRQoL, applicable across different populations and cultures. Validations in China Mainland, Hong-Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Egypt, Poland, Norway, Indonesia, and Malaya are on the way.
INTRODUCTION: There is no disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) tool devoted to traumatic brain injury (TBI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Over 1500 TBI patients from 10 countries filled out a preliminary version of the QOLIBRI taking TBI specificities into account. 3 successive versions and consecutive statistical analyses were necessary to get a psychometrically-reliable tool. RESULTS: The QOLIBRI final version, filled out in 15 min, consists of 2 parts. The first part assesses satisfaction with HRQoL and is composed of 6 overall items and 29 items allocated to 4 subscales: thinking, feelings, autonomy and social aspects. The second part, devoted to "bothered" questions, is composed of 12 items in 2 subscales: negative feelings and restrictions. The 6 subscales meet standard psychometric criteria. In addition, 2 items evaluate medical-oriented aspects. The questionnaire is validated in German, Finnish, Italian, French, English, Dutch. CONCLUSION: TBI patients may now be assessed, beyond more "objective" measures including handicap and recovery, with a new measure of assessing the TBI patient's own opinion on his/her HRQoL, applicable across different populations and cultures. Validations in China Mainland, Hong-Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Egypt, Poland, Norway, Indonesia, and Malaya are on the way.