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Table 4 Form comparison—participant quotes

From: Development of the SF-6Dv2 health utility survey: comprehensibility and patient preference

Category

Preference Form A

Preference Form B

Overall comparison

It just seems more clear in the way they, like I do this in some of my emails, uh, you know like underline and bold and things like that. It just makes it, and then they’re more descriptive with what they mean by different things

(ID29)

I think I like, uh, the—the first one, the [Form B] rather than [Form A]. I just like the way it’s easier to see, and I like the way that it’s laid out, though of course, that’s a personal preference. So for me, I like the way that this one is laid out better

(ID07)

Physical functioning

Uh, the first option, the “does your health now limit you in physical activities?” I don’t know if it’s the way that it’s worded or the way…like the options seem more succinct and clearer, “not limited at all, limited a little,” and then it goes down to “limited a lot in bathing and dressing.” I don’t know if it is different, but it feels different than the first survey. Oh no, it’s not that different. There’s less words

(ID20)

… you’re getting all those parameters with the question rather than having to jump between the answer and back to the question. So, your question is included in the choice. It’s a little easier for me to follow. Maybe because of the way I look at things, uh, but that’s—the organization is easier to follow and more—more cogent to me, in 1.4 [Form B]

(ID13)

Role functioning

Um, the last version was kind of like in general, you know. It’s kind of broad. This is a little more specific, like asking would you…have…do you feel like you’ve accomplished less than you would like at work or during other regular activities

(ID40)

Yes, I would. I—I just like the way it looks better. But, you know, that you—you ask me and then you ask the next person and they’re going to tell you totally different. It’s just a personality thing I think, or a—or a, um, because an artist—I may look at something different than somebody who is a mathematician, you know. [laughs] So I don’t know how that’s going to help you. But anyway, that’s for me…my personal preference is [Form B]

(ID07)

Pain

I like it scaled down like this because it’s easy to read, “past four weeks, bodily pain.”

(ID16)

…I think like the emphasis is different by putting it in that sentence over and over where you could like say, “Oh, that’s me,” versus just thinking… I don’t know, it just felt like it was more organized than the how many, you know, how much body pain have you had, and then it was just like listed there

(ID19)

Vitality

…it definitely kind of gets to the point of in the past month how often did you feel tired, or exhausted or worn out, and I think – you know, again, the format of it I like, and also the fact that, you know, you – it, it really flat out just asks you the question, uh, there's no second guessing. It's easy to follow

(ID02)

Definitely this one, [Form B]…Because it has, because it has the word vitality in it. Uh, um, that’s just me personally

(ID01)

Social functioning

I don’t think so. Like question five I feel like in [Form A] was easier for me to answer than in [Form B], I think because of the example. Because when I was answering that on [Form B], I wasn’t thinking like social activities involving like my family. I was, I don’t know why. It just didn’t even occur to me. I thought we were talking about something completely like separate from like family gatherings and things like that. Um, so I feel like in, in [Form A], that question I could answer more clearly

(ID08)

Uh, I think, I think it’s the same reason, and I think it’s easier to read through almost, to where it’s like, it’s not, you don’t have to ask, it’s not like the question and then all the answers. It’s the same question so you can read through it quick, and then the answer is down

(ID11)

Mental health

I prefer [Form A] because it doesn’t have the word “mental health” in it. And I think that sometimes as a society, we have issues with mental health. And to put that—I think it’s usually a negative connotation with the word “mental health.” Um, it’s seen as a problem rather than just a part of who we are. Um, so when I think of mental health, it’s generally in a negative sense. So to have that in question [Form B], I’m already thinking about it negatively rather than thinking about it neutrally

(ID20)

Um, I like it, actually, on the [Form B]. It looks more professional to me. Mental health in the past four weeks, other than, you know, it was very kind of drawn out on the [Form A]. During the past four weeks, how much of the time have you felt depressed or nervous—or very nervous? This one is just saying, mental health in the past four weeks. And so, and then, you guys are asking the question. You felt very depressed or very nervous, none of the time? You felt depressed or very nervous, all of the time? So, to me, it made more sense, looked more professional, on [Form B]

(ID05)