ObjectiveTo systematically review the methodological quality and measurement properties of dyspnea assessment tools for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients based on the consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments (COSMIN) guidelines, and provide evidence for clinicians in selecting the optimal assessment tool. MethodsComputerized searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang databases for studies related to dyspnea assessment tools in COPD patients, from the establishment of each database until April 2024. Two researchers independently screened and extracted data according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The included assessment tools were evaluated based on the COSMIN guidelines, and final recommendations for the tools were formulated. ResultsA total of 18 studies were included, involving 14 dyspnea assessment tools for COPD patients. The following tools were recommended as Grade A: SOBDA, PFSDQ-M, Chinese version of Dyspnoea-12, Norwegian version of Dyspnoea-12, and RSQ. Grade B recommendations included the Chinese version of the revised PFSDQ, SOBQ-UCSD version, S-CRQ, CRQ-SR, C-MRADLQ, and BCSS. Grade C recommendations included the Arabic version of Dyspnoea-12, Chinese version of COPD-MSD, and C-SOBQ. ConclusionsThe scales SOBDA, PFSDQ-M, Chinese version of Dyspnoea-12, Norwegian version of Dyspnoea-12, and RSQ have been comprehensively evaluated across various measurement properties and demonstrate good reliability and validity. Considering the national context in China, the Chinese version of Dyspnoea-12 is tentatively recommended, though other measurement properties still require further validation.
