An Online Patient Completed Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaire Can Help to Guide Primary Care Referrals

ObjectivesTo determine the feasibility and reliability of an online patient completed Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaire (AVVQ) as a tool to guide specialist referral.MethodsThis was a prospective qualitative and quantitative study. One hundred and six patients completed an online questionnaire. Some 43 (40%) completed the AVVQ questionnaire at home and 63 (60%) did it immediately before their appointment.Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS) and CEAP grades were assigned by a consultant vascular surgeon. In 11 patients, the questionnaire was repeated at the time of surgery to assess reproducibility and bias.ResultsThe AVVQ correlated with the specialist's VCSS scores (Spearman coefficient 0.795; p < 0.01) and similarly with CEAP grade (P < 0.01, ANOVA test). AVVQ was reproducible with close agreement (Spearman coefficient 0.89; p < 0.01) between both 1st AVVQ score of 21.61 (sd 10.26; range 6.12–40.14) and 2nd AVVQ score of 21.03 (sd 10.50 range 4.51–42.57). Patients' feedback about the online AVVQ was positive.ConclusionsAn online questionnaire is acceptable to patients, correlates with clinical findings and using a threshold value could be used by healthcare Commissioners to guide varicose vein referrals.