DLQI
Also written as: DLQI — Dermatology Life Quality Index
Dermatology Life Quality Index; a validated 10-item questionnaire measuring the impact of skin disease on a patient's quality of life.
Full Definition
The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) is the most widely used dermatology-specific quality-of-life instrument, developed by Finlay and Khan in 1994. It consists of 10 questions covering symptoms, daily activities, leisure, work/school, personal relationships, and treatment side effects, with scores ranging from 0 (no impact) to 30 (maximum impact). Editors frequently encounter it in clinical trial manuscripts, health technology assessments, and NICE submissions. The acronym is always written in full capitals: 'DLQI,' never 'DLQi' or 'dlqi.' Score interpretation bands should not be invented by authors and must match validated thresholds.
Usage
Usage note: Always expand on first use: 'Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI).' Do not confuse with CDLQI (Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index), which is a separate paediatric instrument.
In Context
- "Mean DLQI scores fell from 18.4 at baseline to 4.1 at week 16, indicating a clinically meaningful improvement." — Clinical trial results section
- "The author wrote 'DLQi'; the editor standardised to 'DLQI' per the instrument's published abbreviation." — Copy-editing note