Emely Verweyen, Sonja Ständer, Kiana Kreitz, Inga Höben, Nani Osada, Marvin Gernart, Claudia Riepe, Manuel Pereira, Christine Blome, Matthias Augustin, Claudia Zeidler
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-3158

Few studies have validated standard measurement instruments for evaluation of chronic pruritus. The Chronic Pruritus Tools Questionnaire PRURITOOLS assembles a set of instruments for the assessment of pruritus, such as the visual analogue scale (horizontal 100-mm line), numerical rating scale (0–10), verbal rating scale, and information on pruritus quality and improvement during therapy. This study, with 40 subjects, analysed PRURITOOLS regarding convergent validity and test–retest reliability (60 min), followed by a feasibility questionnaire. Test–retest reliability for PRURITOOLS items was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.84–1). Strong to very strong correlations between the pruritus intensity scales indicated convergent validity. The feasibility questionnaire showed an overall acceptance of PRURITOOLS, and the majority of subjects (82.5%) considered it an appropriate questionnaire to measure pruritus. In conclusion, PRURITOOLS offers validated tools for rapid pruritus assessment in routine care or endpoints of clinical trials.

Itch lasting for longer than 6 weeks (chronic pruritus) is one of the main symptoms in dermatology and can appear not only in dermatological disorders, but also in systemic, neurological and psychological diseases. Chronic pruritus is often difficult to treat and has a high level of impact on a patient’s quality of life. There are only a few validated standard measurement instruments available for the evaluation of chronic pruritus, which makes it difficult to assess this symptom objectively. This study validated the Chronic Pruritus Tools Questionnaire PRURITOOLS, which assembles a set of tools for the assessment of pruritus and can now be used in routine care or in clinical trials.