Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36127750›Full record

ArticleAlimentary pharmacology & therapeutics2022

Validation of the Achalasia Patient-Reported Outcomes Questionnaire.

John E Pandolfino, Dustin A Carlson, Josie McGarva, Peter J Kahrilas, Michael Vaezi, David Katzka, Tiffany H Taft

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Observational
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Saudi Gastroenterology Association (SGA) clinical care pathway and standards of care for peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) in achalasia.Saudi journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Saudi Gastroenterology Association · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Benign Esophageal Disorders.The American journal of gastroenterology · 2025
    Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. The role of hypervigilance in chronic esophageal diseases: a scoping review.Translational gastroenterology and hepatology · 2024
    Article
  10. Validation of the Achalasia Patient-Reported Outcomes Questionnaire.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2022
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

John E PandolfinoDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Dustin A CarlsonDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-1702-7758
Josie McGarvaDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Peter J KahrilasDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8260-1250
Michael VaeziDivision of Gastroenterology, Vanderbildt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
David KatzkaDivision of Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2307-2317
Tiffany H TaftDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4670-2441
Northwestern University · USMayo Clinic · USVanderbilt University Medical Center · US

Funding

Role of altered response to volumetric distension in esophageal diseaseP01DK117824 · NIDDK · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI PANDOLFINO, JOHN E · 2018 to 2022
$7.3M
NIDDK NIH HHS P01 DK117824
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAchalasia is a debilitating major motor disorder of the oesophagus. Hypervigilance and symptom-specific anxiety substantially impact dysphagia symptom reporting, and quality of life is a critical patient outcome. Earlier achalasia symptom scales did not consider these constructs in their psychometric development.

aimTo develop a new symptom measure, the Achalasia Patient-Reported Outcomes (APRO) Questionnaire

methodsFour gastroenterologists with achalasia expertise generated preliminary items. Patients reviewed items via cognitive interviews. Patients undergoing high-resolution manometry completed the APRO with Oesophageal Hypervigilance and Anxiety Scale, Northwestern Oesophageal Quality of Life Scale, and three measures of reflux and dysphagia. Full APRO psychometric assessment (reliability, validity, factor structure) was done. Cluster analysis evaluated APRO + symptom-anxiety/hypervigilance patient phenotypes.

resultsWe included 961 patients with normal motility and 296 with achalasia. The APRO yielded three subscales: dysphagia, reflux, chest pain with two items for weight change and diet modifications. Reliability and validity were excellent. Twenty-five percent of achalasia patients may have high levels of anxiety/hypervigilance despite low symptoms, while 8% may report severe symptoms with low anxiety/hypervigilance. The APRO significantly predicted quality of life, but less cognitive-affective processes.

conclusionsThe APRO is a reliable and valid measure of achalasia symptoms that addresses the limitations of existing questionnaires. Symptom anxiety and hypervigilance moderate the relationship between APRO and quality of life; 33% of patients with achalasia exhibit concerning patterns in symptom severity, anxiety and hypervigilance that may contribute to poorer outcomes.

Indexed as

Deglutition DisordersEsophageal AchalasiaGastroesophageal RefluxHumansPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresQuality of LifeReproducibility of ResultsSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID36127750
PMCPMC9826373
OpenAlexW4296705337

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.