The German Itch Questionnaire, validation in different diagnoses

Organizational Data

DRKS-ID:
DRKS00013971
Recruitment Status:
Recruiting complete, study complete
Date of registration in DRKS:
2018-04-23
Last update in DRKS:
2021-02-05
Registration type:
Retrospective

Acronym/abbreviation of the study

No Entry

URL of the study

No Entry

Brief summary in lay language

Chronic pruritus (defined as pruritus lasting six weeks or longer) is a widespread symptom in dermatology, but also occurs in other diseases, e. g. chronic kidney diseases or chronic liver diseases. It is still difficult to measure chronic pruritus, for this a questionnaire would be useful. Up to now, there is neither a standardized national nor international questionnaire. In 2008, a first German language questionnaire for assessing chronic pruritus (AGP questionnaire) was developed on the basis of an already existing questionnaires that will again be revised. The aim of the current study is 1st to differentiate between various diagnoses, 2nd to develop different modules for different diseases and 3rd to develop a German standardized questionnaire which will be comprehensively used. The current version of this questionnaire comprises five modules for the patient (anamnesis, itch-specific anamnesis, itch-specific therapy, itch-specific quality of life and sleep) as well as two modules for the treating physician (clinical classification of itch and comorbidities). Now, the revised questionnaire should be reevaluated. 10 study centres take part (8 in Germany, 1 in Switzerland and 1 in Austria). We include 9 different diagnoses; per diagnosis 40 patients will be recruited, so in total, we will recruit 360 patients.

Brief summary in scientific language

Chronic pruritus (defined as pruritus lasting six weeks or longer) is a widespread symptom in dermatology, but also occurs in other diseases, e. g. chronic kidney diseases, chronic liver diseases, or carcinoma. It is still difficult to measure chronic pruritus, for this a questionnaire would be useful. Up to now, there is neither a standardized national nor international questionnaire. In 2008, a first German language questionnaire for assessing chronic pruritus (AGP questionnaire) was developed on the basis of already existing questionnaires that will again be revised. The aim of the current study is 1st to differentiate between various diagnoses, 2nd to develop different modules for different diseases and 3rd to develop a German standardized questionnaire which will be comprehensively used. The questionnaire is devided in five modules for the patient (anamnesis, itch-specific anamnesis, itch-specific therapy, itch-specific quality of life and sleep). The current version of this questionnaire comprises questions on cause, intensity and quality of pruritus, general health status, socio-demographic data, itch-specific therapies, quality of life, and pruritus cognition. Pruritus will be classified by an international concerted classification system through clinical picture and aetiology (IFSI-classification). Comorbidities will be recorded by the Charlson-Comorbidity-Score. Now, the revised questionnaire should be reevaluated. 10 study centres take part (8 in Germany, 1 in Switzerland and 1 in Austria). We include 9 different diagnoses (itch in dermatological patients (urticaria, psoriasis, atopic eczema), patients with pruritus and kidney disease, patients with pruritus and liver disease, patients with pruritus and chronic prurigo, pruritus of multifactorial genesis, somatoform pruritus or neuropahtic pruritus. Per diagnosis, 40 patients will be recruited, so in total, we will recruit 360 patients.

Health condition or problem studied

Free text:
urticaria, psoriasis, atopic eczema, patients with pruritus and kidney disease, patients with pruritus and liver disease, patients with pruritus and chronic prurigo, pruritus of multifactorial genesis, somatoform pruritus or neuropahtic pruritus
ICD10:
L29.8 - Other pruritus
ICD10:
L29.9 - Pruritus, unspecified
ICD10:
F45.8 - Other somatoform disorders
Healthy volunteers:
No Entry

Interventions, Observational Groups

Arm 1:
Patients with chronic itch will be questioned one or to times with five modules: general anamnesis, itch-specific anamnesis, itch-specific therapy, itch-specific quality of life and sleep. Simultaneously, the treating physician will classify the pruritus by the IFSI-classification as well as comorbidities by the Charlson-Comorbidity-Score.

Endpoints

Primary outcome:
Hypothesis: Because of the itch-specific anamnesis, the questionnaire can differentiate between different diagnoses. The present study should provide intial approches of the validity. Therefore, construct validity and criterion validity will be assesd.
Secondary outcome:
On a subsample, the retest-reliability of the itch-specific anamnesis will be assessed after 24 hours. On a second subsample, the sensitivity to change/ stability will be assessed after 1 week.

Study Design

Purpose:
Other
Retrospective/prospective:
No Entry
Study type:
Non-interventional
Longitudinal/cross-sectional:
No Entry
Study type non-interventional:
No Entry

Recruitment

Recruitment Status:
Recruiting complete, study complete
Reason if recruiting stopped or withdrawn:
No Entry

Recruitment Locations

Recruitment countries:
  • Austria
  • Germany
  • Switzerland
Number of study centers:
Multicenter study
Recruitment location(s):
  • University medical center Medizin 1 Erlangen
  • University medical center Kompetenzzentrum chronischer Pruritus Münster
  • Doctor's practice Bad Bentheim
  • University medical center Dermatologische Klinik und Poliklinik München
  • University medical center Hautklinik und Poliklinik Mainz
  • Other Institut für Medizinische Psychologie Gießen
  • Doctor's practice Wiesbaden
  • University medical center Dermatologie und Venerologie Graz
  • Medical center Dermatologie – Allergologie Aarau
  • University medical center Berufsdermatologie Heidelberg

Recruitment period and number of participants

Planned study start date:
No Entry
Actual study start date:
2018-01-12
Planned study completion date:
No Entry
Actual Study Completion Date:
2020-12-31
Target Sample Size:
360
Final Sample Size:
362

Inclusion Criteria

Sex:
All
Minimum Age:
18 Years
Maximum Age:
no maximum age
Additional Inclusion Criteria:
- patients with chronic pruritus >= 6 weeks - written informed consent - personal introduction in the study center - capacity for consent

Exclusion Criteria

- deficient knowledge of the language - limited vigilance, e.g. dementia, sedatives

Addresses

Primary Sponsor

Address:
Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg,Verantwortlich für Organisation der Studie und Ethikantrag / Responsible for organisation of study and ethics committee application: Prof. Elke Weisshaar
Voßstraße 2
69115 Heidelberg
Germany
Telephone:
No Entry
Fax:
No Entry
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
No Entry
Investigator Sponsored/Initiated Trial (IST/IIT):
Yes

Contact for Scientific Queries

Address:
Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Berufsdermatologie
apl. Prof. Dr. med. Elke Weisshaar
Voßstraße 2
69115 Heidelberg
Germany
Telephone:
06221/568752
Fax:
06221/565019
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
No Entry

Contact for Public Queries

Address:
Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Berufsdermatologie
apl. Prof. Dr. med. Elke Weisshaar
Voßstraße 2
69115 Heidelberg
Germany
Telephone:
06221/568752
Fax:
06221/565019
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
No Entry

Principal Investigator

Address:
Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Berufsdermatologie
apl. Prof. Dr. med. Elke Weisshaar
Voßstraße 2
69115 Heidelberg
Germany
Telephone:
06221/568752
Fax:
06221/565019
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
No Entry

Sources of Monetary or Material Support

No Entry

Address:
Keine fremden Finanzmittel / no external funds
Telephone:
No Entry
Fax:
No Entry
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
No Entry

Ethics Committee

Address Ethics Committee

Address:
Ethikkommission der Medizinischen Fakultät Heidelberg
Alte Glockengießerei 11/1
69115 Heidelberg
Germany
Telephone:
+49-6221-338220
Fax:
+49-6221-3382222
Contact per E-Mail:
Contact per E-Mail
URL:
No Entry

Vote of leading Ethics Committee

Vote of leading Ethics Committee
Date of ethics committee application:
2017-10-27
Ethics committee number:
S-594/2017
Vote of the Ethics Committee:
Approved
Date of the vote:
2017-11-24

Further identification numbers

Other primary registry ID:
No Entry
EudraCT Number:
No Entry
UTN (Universal Trial Number):
No Entry
EUDAMED Number:
No Entry

IPD - Individual Participant Data

Do you plan to make participant-related data (IPD) available to other researchers in an anonymized form?:
No Entry
IPD Sharing Plan:
No Entry

Study protocol and other study documents

Study protocols:
No Entry
Study abstract:
No Entry
Other study documents:
No Entry
Background literature:
No Entry
Related DRKS studies:
No Entry

Publication of study results

Planned publication:
No Entry
Publikationen/Studienergebnisse:
No Entry
Date of first publication of study results:
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DRKS entry published for the first time with results:
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Basic reporting

Basic Reporting / Results tables:
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Brief summary of results:
No Entry