Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) can be used to assess individual patients over time

Adults with asthma and allergic rhinitis were enrolled at 4 outpatient clinics of Portuguese central hospitals. At each of the two visits, 4 to 6 weeks apart, patients filled out CARAT10 and additional questionnaires, followed by a medical evaluation blinded to the questionnaires’ answers.From the 62 patients included, 51 patients completely filled out CARAT10 at both visits. The test-retest reliability, computed as an intra-class correlation coefficient, was 0.82. Regarding responsiveness, a significant change (p？=？0.002) of CARAT10 score in clinically unstable patients was observed (95%CI -5.08; -1.31) and the Guyatt’s responsiveness index was 1.54. As for the longitudinal validity assessment, the correlation coefficients of the changes of CARAT10 scores with those of ACQ5 and symptoms VAS ranged from 0.49 to 0.65, while with the physician assessment of control they ranged from 0.31 to 0.41.CARAT10 has good test-retest reliability, responsiveness and longitudinal validity. It can be used to assess control of allergic rhinitis and asthma, both to compare groups in clinical studies and to evaluate individual patients in clinical practice.Rhinitis and asthma are highly prevalent diseases that are closely associated. A few questionnaires have been developed and validated to assess the control of rhinitis [1,2] and asthma [3,4]. For over a decade, the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative has recommended the simultaneous assessment and management of these diseases [5,6]. Recent observational studies reinforced the association of rhinitis and asthma. In a cross-sectional study of asthma patients from 85 primary care practices in the United Kingdom, self-reported rhinitis was identified as a major predictor of poor asthma control [7]. Also, data from the West Sweden Asthma Study linked the degree of rhinitis with the risk of having multi-symptom asthma [8].We have previously developed the Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test – a 17-item ver