Table 1.

Dyspnea Assessment Instruments and Definitions of Improvement

Type of Scale	Scale Intervals	Definition of Clinical Significance
Five point Likert scale	1=not short of breath, 2=mildly short of breath, 3=moderately short of breath, 4=severely short of breath, 5=very severely short of breath.	≥1 point change
10 cm visual analog scale	1 cm increments, anchored by “I am not breathless at all” to “I am the most breathless I have ever been.”	≥3 cm change
Seven point Likert scale	Patients were asked to compare how they felt when they were first asked regarding dyspnea. Scores ranged from “Markedly worse, moderately worse, mildly worse, no change, mildly better, moderately better, markedly better.”	Only patients who responded moderately or markedly improved