OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine if order of completion of the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) and the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) effected responses to domain or summary scores. METHODS: A double-blind, randomized cost-effectiveness trial compared triamcinolone 800 ?g per day versus placebo in adult asthmatics over twelve months. Within the clinical trial, 124 patients were randomized at the baseline visit to one of two groups in which the order of the self-administered health status questionnaires was alternated. The first group received the AQLQ followed by the SF-36 (N=63), and the second group was reversed (N=61). Scores from the eight domains of the SF-36 and the four domains of the AQLQ were compared between the two groups. The groups were also compared with regard to the overall quality of life score from the AQLQ and the two summary scales from the SF-36. RESULTS: The two groups did not differ significantly in any of the domain scores, SF-36 summary scores, or the total score on the AQLQ. The overall quality of life score from the AQLQ was 4.566 in the group that received the AQLQ first and 4.702 in the SF-36 first group (p=0.500). The summary estimates for the physical component summary scale (PCS) were 75.0 for the AQLQ first group and 74.1 for the SF-36 first group (p=0.589). The mental health component summary scale (MCS) were 74.3 vs. 73.7 (p=0.711) for the respective groups. CONCLUSION: The order in which questionnaires were administered did not effect the domain or component scores on the generic or disease specific health status measures.