Dermatology Life Quality Index

Developed in 1994 by Professor A. Y. Finlay and Dr. G. K. Khan, the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) is a valuable tool for assessing quality of life in relation to dermatological issues. The DLQI is intended for use with individuals over the age of 16. It has many uses, including the following:

• Assists in clinical evaluation of dermatological conditions
• Assists in the decision-making process regarding dermatological treatment
• Helps track the impact of different dermatological therapies on quality of life
• Allows health care providers and researchers to quantify the impact of dermatological conditions on various aspects of daily life, including emotional, social, and functional domains

Values

The Dermatology Life Quality Index contains a series of 10 questions. Each question is assigned a value from zero to three as follows:

• Not at all (0)
• A little (1)
• A lot (2)
• Very much (3)

Questions

All questions are based on the individual’s experience over the previous seven days. The questions are as follows:

Over the last week…

• How itchy, sore, painful or stinging has your skin been?
• How embarrassed or self conscious have you been because of your skin?
• How much has your skin interfered with going shopping or looking after your home or garden?
• How much has your skin influenced the clothes you wear?
• How much has your skin affected any social or leisure activities?
• How much has your skin made it difficult for you to do any sport?
• Has your skin prevented you from working or studying? (If no, over the last week, how much has your skin been a problem at work or studying?)
• How much has your skin created problems with your partner or any of your close friends or relatives?
• How much has your skin caused any sexual difficulties?
• How much of a problem has the treatment for your skin been, for example by making your home messy or by taking up time?

Scores

Scores are calculated by adding together the values assigned to each answer. The higher the score, the higher the impact dermatological issues have on quality of life. The maximum total score possible is 30. A score of 0‒1 indicates no effect at all; scores from 2‒5 indicate a negligible effect; scores from 6‒10 indicate a moderate effect; scores from 11‒20 indicate a very large effect; and scores 21 and above indicate an extremely large effect.

Additional sources: The University of British Columbia, DermNet, and Cardiff University School of Medicine