Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)

This is probably the most well-established and commonly used quality of life tool in British dermatology, it has the advantage of being relatively short and therefore practical to use within the clinical environment. It has been translated into a number of languages. It is completed by the patient on their own and they are asked to answer all questions bearing in mind how they have felt over the last week. The responses either ‘very much’, ‘a lot’, ‘a little’ or ‘not at all’ are then scored with points of 3, 2, 1 and 0 respectively (Finlay & Khan, 1994). When totalled up the scores are interpreted as follows (see Box 6.4):

Box 6.4 Interpreting DLQI scores 0–1: no effect at all on the patient’s life 2–5: small effect on the patient’s life 6–10: moderate effect on the patient’s life 11–20: very large effect on the patient’s life 21–30: extremely large effect on the patient’s life

However, what is also useful about this score is that it enables the practitioner to get a sense for how certain areas of the individual’s life are most affected. This is because the questions can be grouped into themes (see Box 6.5).

Box 6.5 Break down of the DLQI score Questions 1 and 2 relate to symptoms and feelings with a maximum score of 6 Questions 3 and 4 relate to daily activities with a maximum score of 6 Questions 5 and 6 relate to leisure with a maximum score of 6 Question 7 relates to work and school with a maximum score of 3 Question 8 and 9 relate to personal relationships with a maximum score of 6 Question 10 relates to treatment with a maximum score of 3

Once the score has been completed it becomes a useful part of the assessment process and can guide questioning around the areas that seem to be most affected in the patient’s life. The tool with related guidance is available at www.dermatology. org.uk and can be used free of charge in clinical situations.