The scoring system for the DFI is as follows:
Each question is scored from 0-3.
Not at all = 0
A little = 1
A lot = 2
Very much = 3
The score of each of the 10 questions is summed.
The minimum DFI score is 0 (= no impact on life of family)
The maximum DFI score is 30 (= maximum effect on life of family)
There are no validated score banding descriptors yet published.
For details of the Dermatitis Family Impact Questionnaire please see the following reference:
Lawson V, Lewis-Jones MS, Finlay AY, Reid P, Owens RG. The family impact of childhood atopic dermatitis: the Dermatitis Family Impact Questionnaire. Br J Dermatology, 1998; 138: 107-113
Dodington SR, Basra MK, Finlay AY, Salek MS. The Dermatitis Family Impact questionnaire: a review of its measurement properties and clinical application. Br J Dermatol. 2013; 169: 31-46.
There is a small charge for the use of the DFI (Except where the DFI is used for routine clinical purposes). This charge is based upon the total number of subjects to whom the Index is administered. It is not based upon the frequency with which the questionnaires are administered to each individual.
These charges are always waived by the copyright holders for non-funded 'academic' studies and they are mainly applied to pharmaceutical companies using these Indexes in Phase II and Phase III studies. Please contact the authors concerning this. The charge per subject is as follows:
UK: £5
USA and rest of world: $9.50 (Plus exchange rate at the time of invoicing)
Payment should be made after receipt of an invoice from the Cardiff University School of Medicine.
The copyright statement for the DFI is "© M.S. Lewis-Jones, A.Y.Finlay, 1995". This must always be reproduced at the end of every copy of the DFI.