Table 4 Survey content
Q # | Original question | Readability (Flesch–Kincaid grade level) | Adapted questiona | Readability (Flesch–Kincaid grade level) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Heart failure affects different people in different ways. Some feel shortness of breath while others feel fatigue. Please indicate how much you are limited by heart failure (shortness of breath or fatigue) in your ability to do the following activities over the past 2 weeks. | 9.1 | How hard is it for you to do these activities because of your heart failure? | 5.9 |
2 | Over the past 2 weeks, how many times did you have swelling in your feet, ankles or legs when you woke up in the morning? | 9.0 | How many times do you wake up with swelling in your feet, ankles, or legs? | 4.4 |
3 | Over the past 2 weeks, on average, how many times has fatigue limited your ability to do what you wanted? | 11.1 | How many times do you feel too tired to do what you want? | 2.1 |
4 | Over the past 2 weeks, on average, how many times has shortness of breath limited your ability to do what you wanted? | 10.6 | How many times do you feel too out of breath to do what you want? | 2.8 |
5 | Over the past 2 weeks, on average, how many times have you been forced to sleep sitting up in a chair or with at least 3 pillows to prop you up because of shortness of breath? | 12.8 | How many times do you sleep sitting up or with pillows because you are out of breath? | 5.6 |
6 | Over the past 2 weeks, how much has your heart failure limited your enjoyment of life? | 6.8 | How hard is it for you to enjoy your life because of heart failure? | 4.1 |
7 | If you had to spend the rest of your life with your heart failure the way it is right now, how would you feel about this? | 7.2 | Removed question based on recommendations for low-literacy audiences that “some individuals think in concrete/immediate rather than abstract/futuristic terms” Clear and Simple. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; 2016. Available at: https://www.nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/officecommunications-public-liaison/clear-communication/clear-simple | N/A |
8 | How much does your heart failure affect your lifestyle? Please indicate how your heart failure may have limited your participation in the following activities over the past 2 weeks. | 9.5 | Combined with question 1 | N/A |