The utility of a single simple question in the evaluation of the quality of life of patients with myasthenia gravis

Abstract

Abstract Background and purpose It is difficult to provide a complete and accurate assessment of the quality of life of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). The objective was to explore a new evaluation method of the quality of life of patients with myasthenia gravis and investigate it’s influencing factors. Methods A single-center cross-sectional analysis was performed on myasthenia gravis patients who received continuous treatment in the Neurology outpatient clinic from January 2020 to September 2022. A self-made questionnaire was used to collect patients’ social demographic and clinical features、economic burden. Myasthenia gravis activities of daily living profile(MG-ADL), the 15-item myasthenia gravis quality of life scale(MG-QOL15), the single simple question(SSQ) -- "How satisfied are you with your quality of life since myasthenia gravis (last 1 month)?" (0–10 points, 0 points represent completely dissatisfied with the quality of life, 10 points represent strongly satisfied with the quality of life, ≥ 8 points are classified as high SSQ, ＜8 points were classified as low SSQ). Correlation analysis was conducted between SSQ and MG-ADL and MG-QOL15, and univariate and multivariate binary logistics were used to analyze the influencing factors of high SSQ. Results A total of 99 valid questionnaires were collected in this study. There was a moderate negative correlation between the SSQ and MG-ADL (r=-0.547, P = 0.000) and MG-QOL15 (r=-0.608, P = 0.000). There was also a significant negative correlation between SSQ and physiological subgroup (r=-0.552, P = 0.000), psychological subgroup (r=-0.562, P = 0.000), and social subgroup (r=-0.534, P = 0.000) of MG-QO15. The AUC value of MG-QOL15 was 0.797 (95%CI: 70.38%-89.08%), and the Cut-off value was 6 points (0.794 sensitivity, 0.708 specificity). The AUC value of MG-ADL was 0.783 (95%CI: 68.91%-87.69%), and the Cut-off value was 0 points (0.912 sensitivity, 0.523 specificity). There was statistical significance in the SSQ among groups with different economic burdens (F = 2.988, P = 0.023). logistics regression analysis model showed that the MGFA-PIS and MG-QOL15 were the main influencing factors of SSQ (z= -2.663, OR = 0.294 P = 0.008) (z= -2.948, 0R = 0.935, P = 0.003). Conclusion The single simple question -"How satisfied you are with your quality of life since myasthenia gravis (last 1 month)?" is a feasible and effective method to evaluate the quality of life of MG patients, and it can be recommended for routine clinical assessment. The prognosis and economic burden of the disease are important factors influencing the quality of life of patients with myasthenia gravis.