Severe Asthma Questionnaire (SAQ)

Validation

We conducted the validation of the SAQ in two stages:

Work with patients

  • Ask the right questions in the right way. We conducted two studies.
  • In the first study, we spoke to people with severe asthma using a semi-structured interview technique. Interview questions explored the impact severe asthma had on their lives1. We used the information from these interviews to make a draft questionnaire.
  • In a second study, we modified the draft questionnaire following feedback gathered over a series of focus groups. from severe asthma patients. We made changes to the wording of questions to improve clarity, question structure, the number of questions, timescale measured (e.g., problems in the last 2 weeks rather than the last 4 weeks) and other properties2.
  • Because of these steps, the questions of the SAQ assess what matters to patients with severe asthma, and are worded in a way that is easily understood.

Assess the data

  • Assess the statistical properties of the questionnaire. we published a series of studies on the statistical properties of the SAQ.
  • Construct validity, internal consistency, discriminant validity and test re-test reliability3.
  • Support for a dividing the SAQ’s questions into three subscales (MyLife, MyMind, MyBody)4.
  • Sensitivity to Change and Minimum Clinically Importance Difference (MCID) of the SAQ5.
  • Recent data demonstrates that collecting data using the SAQ can assist earlier assessment (4 – 8 weeks) of response to biologic treatments for severe asthma6.
  1. Hyland ME, Whalley B, Jones RC, Masoli M. A qualitative study of the impact of severe asthma and its treatment showing that treatment burden is neglected in existing asthma assessment scales. Quality of Life Research. 2015;24:631-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-014-0801-x.
  2. Hyland ME, Lanario JW, Pooler J, Masoli M, Jones RC. How patient participation was used to develop a questionnaire that is fit for purpose for assessing quality of life in severe asthma. Health and quality of life outcomes. 2018;16(1):24.  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-018-0851-9.
  3. Hyland ME, Jones RC, Lanario JW, Masoli M. The construction and validation of the severe asthma questionnaire (SAQ). Eur Respir J. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.00618-2018.
  4. Lanario JW, Hyland ME, Menzies-Gow A, Mansur AH, Dodd JW, Fowler SJ, Jones RC, Masoli M. Validation of subscales of the Severe Asthma Questionnaire (SAQ) using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Health Qual. Life Outcomes. 2020 Dec. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-020-01593-9.
  5. Masoli M, Lanario JW, Hyland ME, et al. The Severe Asthma Questionnaire: sensitivity to change and minimal clinically important difference. Eur Respir J 2021; 57: 2100300. https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.00300-2021.
  6. Davies D, Lanario JW, Hyland ME, Masoli M. Severe Asthma Questionnaire (SAQ) and Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) as Early Predictors of Biologic Response in Severe Asthma. Journal of Asthma and Allergy. 2025 Dec 31:743-52. https://doi.org/10.2147/JAA.S490267