Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire
Also known as: CRQ, Chronic Respiratory Q
The CRQ is a 20-item, four-domain questionnaire developed by Guyatt and colleagues at McMaster University in 1987 to measure health-related quality of life specifically in patients with chronic respiratory disease, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. Uniquely, the CRQ can be administered by interview or self-report, and its four domains (dyspnea, fatigue, emotional function, mastery) directly address the multidimensional burden of chronic respiratory disease. The CRQ has demonstrated exceptional responsiveness to pulmonary rehabilitation and other interventions, making it a preferred outcome measure in respiratory research and clinical practice.
Read the full method
Sign in with a free account to read this section.
Method map
The neighbourhood of related methods — select a node to explore.
When to use it
The CRQ is indicated for patients with chronic respiratory disease (COPD, cystic fibrosis, ILD, asthma) where multidimensional quality-of-life assessment is desired. It is particularly valuable in pulmonary rehabilitation programs (superior responsiveness to rehabilitation compared to generic tools), clinical trials evaluating comprehensive interventions, and longitudinal disease monitoring in respiratory specialty clinics. The CRQ's interview format is preferred when administering to patients with cognitive impairment or low literacy. It is less suitable for acute settings or when time constraints demand extreme brevity.
Strengths & limitations
- Exceptional responsiveness: CRQ is highly sensitive to changes from rehabilitation, medication adjustments, and disease progression; demonstrates responsiveness superior to SF-36 in COPD populations
- Multidimensional: Four domains (dyspnea, fatigue, emotion, mastery) capture the full spectrum of respiratory disease burden, not just symptoms
- Personalized content: Dyspnea items tailored to patient's own activities; increases relevance and emotional resonance compared to generic activity lists
- Flexible administration: Interview or self-report formats accommodate diverse patient populations (literacy, cognitive status, language barriers)
- Length: 20 items plus personalized dyspnea selection requires 20–30 minutes interview time, limiting feasibility in busy clinics
- Interview training required: Optimal administration by trained clinician; self-report may reduce responsiveness and comparability
- Limited normative data: Fewer population studies compared to SGRQ; reference values less established in diverse populations
- Dyspnea personalization complexity: Selecting appropriate dyspnea activities requires clinical judgment; inconsistent selection across visits may confound longitudinal comparison
Frequently asked
Can a patient use different activities for dyspnea scoring at each visit?
No, for valid longitudinal comparison, patients must rate the same dyspnea activities at each assessment. If an activity becomes irrelevant (e.g., patient stopped yard work), discuss alternative comparable activity with clinician. Changing activities confounds interpretation of change scores.
My patient improved in dyspnea and fatigue but worsened in mastery. What does this mean?
Physical improvement (less dyspnea/fatigue) may not automatically restore confidence if the patient has experienced years of disease burden. Consider addressing psychological factors: consider cognitive-behavioral therapy, peer support, or anxiety management alongside rehabilitation.
How does CRQ differ from SGRQ?
CRQ is interview-administered, multidimensional (dyspnea + fatigue + emotion + mastery), with personalized dyspnea items; highly responsive to rehabilitation. SGRQ is self-completed, 76 items, single disease-impact score; emphasis on activity limitation. CRQ preferred for rehabilitation tracking; SGRQ for general respiratory disease QoL assessment.
A patient's domain scores are 4, 4, 4, 4; is this 'acceptable' disease control?
A uniform 4 across all domains indicates moderate function with room for improvement across all areas. Clinically, '4' means moderate limitation/distress—not yet good control. Treatment goals might focus on improving dyspnea and fatigue while simultaneously addressing emotional concerns and building mastery confidence.
Sources
- Guyatt, G. H., Berman, L. B., Townsend, M., Pugsley, S. O., & Chambers, L. W. (1987). A measure of quality of life for clinical trials in chronic lung disease. Thorax, 42(10), 773-778. DOI: 10.1136/thx.42.10.773 ↗
- Guyatt, G. H., Nogrady, S. G., Halcrow, S., Singer, J., Sullivan, M. J., & Fallen, E. L. (1989). Development and testing of a new measure of health status for clinical trials in heart failure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 4(2), 101-107. DOI: 10.1007/bf02602348 ↗
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 3). Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/pulmonology/chronic-respiratory-disease-questionnaire
Which method?
Set this method beside its closest kin and read them side by side — the library lays the books on the table; the choice is yours.
- ACQPulmonology↔ compare
- BCSPulmonology↔ compare
- MRC DyspnoeaPulmonology↔ compare
- SGRQPulmonology↔ compare
- SNOT-22Pulmonology↔ compare