Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (LINQ)

Author of Tool: 

Hyland, M. E., Jones, R. C. M., & Hanney, K.E.

Key references: 

1. Hyland, M. E., Jones, R. C. M., & Hanney, K. E. (2006). The Lung Information Needs Questionnaire: Development, Preliminary Validation And Findings. Respiratory Medicine, 100 (10), 1807–1816.

2. Hyland, M. E., Jones, R. C. M., & Hanney, K. E. Information needs in COPD patients: The Lung Information Needs Questionnaire. The Airways Journal, 2005; 3:142-144.

3. Jones, R. C. M., Hyland, M. E., & Hanney, K. E. Preliminary data from the Lung information Needs Questionnaire (LINQ). Prim Care Resp J 2005; 14:270-271.

Primary use / Purpose: 

LINQ is a self-complete questionnaire that has measures the information needs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). LINQ can also be used for patients with some other chronic lung diseases. It is not suitable for patients with asthma.

Background: 

The LINQ measures two types of information needs in patients who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): (a) the patient expresses a need for information, and (b) the patient indicates a behaviour for which there is evidence that this behaviour compromises self-management.

Note that research shows that patients often forget the information they are given. So, if patients report they have not been given information, this indicates an information need, even though the information may have been given before.

Note that the LINQ does not measure patient knowledge, but rather information needs. Clinicians may need to establish the details of patient knowledge once they have identified an information need, but doing so would be part of the clinical interview.

LINQ is designed to help clinicians identify which patients would be helped by information and the type of information an individual patient needs. This questionnaire can also be used to evaluate the impact of intervention, including pulmonary rehabilitation, for research and audit purpose.

Keywords: 

• Family

Web link to tool: 

Lung Information Needs Questionnaire

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 

https://dx.doi.org/10.13072/midss.80