Clinical evaluation of pulmonary arterial hypertension using patient-reported outcomes: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Rationale, aims and objectives Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have progressive and disabling symptoms, as well as a burden of treatments and a difficult clinical evaluation that make health-related quality of life a particularly relevant endpoint in this disease. The objective of our study was to evaluate patient-reported outcomes of patients receiving specific treatment for PAH in a tertiary hospital using a specific questionnaire (Cambridge Pulmonary Hypertension Outcome Review-CAMPHOR). Methods A cross-sectional, observational, descriptive study was conducted. It included all patients receiving specific treatment for PAH in a tertiary hospital in Madrid, Spain. The inclusion period comprised between August to December 2019. CAMPHOR questionnaires containing three domains: symptoms, activities and quality of life were completed by the patients at the pharmacy consultation. Demographic and clinical variables, including WHO Functional Class (WHO FC), PAH-specific tests and hemodynamic parameters, were recorded. Non-parametric analyses to assess relations between variables and CAMPHOR domains were performed. Results Thirty-six patients consented to participate in the study and completed the questionnaire. Median scores for symptoms, activities, and quality of life domains were 5.5 (2.5-10), 8.0 (4.5-10.5) and 3.5 (1-7.5), respectively. Statistically significant differences were found in the three domains when comparing by WHO FC, in the activities domain for 6-meters walking test and in the quality of life domain for patients who had emergency visits or hospitalizations in the last year. Conclusions The CAMPHOR questionnaire could be useful as a complementary test to achieve an integrated evaluation of PAH patients, who could complete it easily during their routine pharmacy visits.