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Health-related Quality (health-related + quality)
Kinds of Health-related Quality Selected AbstractsHealth-Related Quality of Life Issues in Women With Polycystic Ovary SyndromeJOURNAL OF OBSTETRIC, GYNECOLOGIC & NEONATAL NURSING, Issue 1 2005Judy Griffin McCook Objective: To evaluate the influence of obesity, fertility status, and androgenism scores on health-related quality of life in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Design: Cross-sectional, correlational. Setting: Private reproductive endocrinology practice in two southeast U.S. cities. Participants: Convenience sample of 128 women with PCOS, half of whom were attempting to conceive in addition to being treated for PCOS. Most were White (97%), married (78%), with a mean age of 30.4 years (SD ± 5.5). Main Outcome Measures: The Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (PCOSQ) for women with polycystic ovary syndrome. A laboratory panel and clinical measures, including body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and degree of hirsutism. Results: The most common health-related quality of life concern reported by women with PCOS was weight, followed in descending order by menstrual problems, infertility, emotions, and body hair. Conclusions: The psychological implications of PCOS are easily underestimated and have been largely ignored. Nursing has a pivotal role in recognizing these concerns and implementing therapy to improve quality of life in women with PCOS. [source] Allergic rhinitis and quality of life: where are we?CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY REVIEWS, Issue 3 2003G. Majani Summary Health-Related Quality of Life (QoL) considers the impact of both illness and treatment on a patient's life as perceived by the patient himself. As well as providing information on how a disease affects a patient's life, QoL instruments could provide important information concerning the treatment outcomes. The SF-36 enlighted a significant impairment in eight of the nine QoL domains in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis, compared to healthy subjects. In seasonal rhinitis a patient's satisfaction profile does not show consistent changes before and after the pollen season. Adherence to treatment and caregivers' and relatives' QoL assessment still deserve more attention. In conclusion there is still a long way to go towards a full knowledge of QoL in allergic rhinitis. [source] Health-related Quality of Life of People with Epilepsy Compared with a General Reference Population: A Tunisian StudyEPILEPSIA, Issue 7 2004Hela Mrabet Summary:,Purpose: The goal of the study was to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of persons with epilepsy (PWE) by using the short form survey 36 (SF-36), to compare it with that of a control group and to detect factors influencing it. Methods: We collected clinical and demographic data and information on health status by using the Arabic translation of the SF-36 questionnaire from two groups: (a) 120 PWE consulting our outpatient clinic during a period of 4 months, and (b) 110 Tunisian citizens, representative of the Tunisian general population, as a control group. Results: The mean age of PWE group was 32.74 years, and 45.5% were men. Idiopathic generalized epilepsies were observed in 44.5% of cases, and symptomatic partial epilepsies, in 30%. The most commonly prescribed drug was sodium valproate (VPA). For the SF-36, PWE had lower scores than the control group for only three subscales: general health perception, mental health, and social functioning. Seizure frequency, time since last seizure, and the antiepileptic drug (AED) side effects were the most important variables influencing the HRQOL among PWE. Seizure-free adults have HRQOL levels comparable to those of the control group. Sociodemographic variables had no influence on the SF-36 subscales. Conclusions: HRQOL is impaired in Tunisian PWE. The influencing factors identified in this study differ from the previously published data. Several possible reasons such as family support and cultural and religious beliefs are proposed to explain these cross-cultural differences. A larger study should be conducted to verify such findings. [source] Health-related Quality of Life for Adults Participating in Outpatient Substance Abuse TreatmentTHE AMERICAN JOURNAL ON ADDICTIONS, Issue 3 2003Thomas J. Morgan Psy.D. Interest exists in assessing health-related quality of life as one aspect of treatment effectiveness with substance abuse clients. The SF-36 Health Survey is a self-report measure assessing subjective health status along physical and mental health dimensions. Subjects were 252 adults in an outpatient, randomized clinical trial for substance abuse treatment. Subjects reported significantly more impairments in functioning when compared to U.S. population norms, but differences disappeared after three months of treatment. There was little support that quality of life functioning was significantly related to substance use during treatment. Results highlight the importance of using the SF-36 to facilitate treatment planning. [source] Health-related quality of life, symptom distress and sense of coherence in adult survivors of allogeneic stem-cell transplantationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 2 2001L. Edman This is the first Swedish study to evaluate the health-related quality of life and sense of coherence in adult survivors of allogeneic, haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Twenty-five recipients completed three questionnaires 2,4 years after the transplantation. The questionnaires used were the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP), the Symptom Frequency Intensity and Distress (SFID-BMT) scale and the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale measuring subjective functional status, symptom distress and coping ability. Impairments in functional status were found, as compared with a population norm. The most common impairments were found in the areas of social interaction and sleep and rest. Eye problems, dry mouth, cough, sexual problems, tiredness, anxiety and changes of taste were symptoms reported by more than half of the patients. Despite impaired functioning and a high incidence of symptoms, the general health was described as quite good or excellent by 80% (n = 20) of the patients. The majority (20/22) had also been able to return to work or to attend school. No difference in the sense of coherence was seen, as compared with the population norm. Functional impairments were significantly correlated to a lower degree of sense of coherence. [source] Health-related quality of life assessment in randomised controlled trials in multiple myeloma: a critical review of methodology and impact on treatment recommendationsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Ann Kristin Kvam Abstract Objectives:, Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) often have pronounced symptoms and substantially reduced quality of life. The aims of treatment are to control disease, maximise quality of life and prolong survival. Hence, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) should be an important end-point in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in addition to traditional endpoints. We wanted to evaluate whether trials reporting HRQOL outcomes have influenced clinical decision making and whether HRQOL was assessed robustly according to predefined criteria. Methods:, A systematic review identified RCTs in MM with HRQOL assessment as a study end-point. The methodological quality of these studies was assessed according to a checklist developed for evaluating HRQOL outcomes in clinical trials. The impact of the HRQOL results on clinical decision making was assessed, using published clinical guidelines as a reference. Results:, Fifteen publications presenting RCTs with HRQOL as a study end-point were identified. In 13 trials, the author stated that HRQOL results should influence clinical decision making. We found, however, that the HRQOL data only had a limited impact on published treatment guidelines for bisphosphonates, high-dose treatment, interferon, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and novel agents. Conclusion:, The present review indicates that the there are still few RCTs in MM including HRQOL as a study end-point. Systematic incorporation of HRQOL measures into clinical trials allows for a comparison of treatment arms that includes the patients' perspective. Before the full impact on clinical decisions can be realised, the quality and methodology of collecting HRQOL data must be further improved and the results rendered more comprehensible to clinicians. [source] Health-related quality of life measures and psychiatric comorbidity in patients with migraineEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 9 2009M. Mula Background and purpose:, The identification of factors associated to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures in patients with migraine has major implications in terms of prognosis and treatment. This study aimed at investigating associations between HRQoL and comorbid mood and anxiety disorders. Methods:, Consecutive adult outpatients with a diagnosis of migraine with or without aura were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) Plus version 5.0.0 and the Migraine-Specific Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (MSQ). Results:, Data of 112 patients (82 females), 69 without aura, mean age 41.2 ± 13.3 years were analyzed. According to the M.I.N.I., 50% patients had a lifetime or current DSM-IV diagnosis of mood or anxiety disorder. There was no between-groups difference in MSQ total and subscale scores in relation to the presence/absence of psychiatric comorbidity, independently whether that was current or lifetime. In the group of subjects with psychiatric disorders, age at onset of migraine correlated with MSQ-total (rho = ,0.407 P = 0.002), and subscale scores (Role Function-Restrictive, rho = ,0.397, P = 0.002; Emotional Function, rho = ,0.487, P < 0.001). Conclusions:, Our findings suggest that current and/or lifetime psychiatric comorbidities are not associated with HRQoL measures in patients with migraine. However, patients with migraine and psychiatric comorbidities may represent a specific subgroup deserving particular attention for targeted interventions. [source] Health-related quality of life in Asian and other ethnic groups with Parkinson's diseaseEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 7 2008K. Ray Chaudhuri No abstract is available for this article. [source] Health-related quality of life in patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome and Xerostomia: a comparative studyGERODONTOLOGY, Issue 1 2002Jocelyne Rostron Abstract Objective: To compare the health status of groups of Primary Sjögren's and Xerostomia patients, using the Medical Outcomes Short Form 36 (SF-36). The SF-36 is a generic measure, divided into eight domains, used in the assessment of health-related quality of life. Patients and methods: The SF-36 was given to 2 groups: Group 1 comprised 43 patients diagnosed with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (1SS) and an unstimulated whole salivary flow rate (UFR) of <0.1 ml/min). Group 2 (n = 40) reported Xerosiomia but had an UFR >0.2 ml/min. Sub groups of patients in Groups 1 and 2 were compared with community normative data, for the SF-36 Results: There were trends to suggest lower SF36 scores for 1SS patients but there were no significant differences between the mean domain scores of Groups 1 and 2. 1SS and Xerostomia patients registered lower mean scores across all 8 domains, compared with normative community data. Conclusion: The SF-36 was unable to detect significant differences between subjects with 1SS and Xerostomia but a larger sample size is required to confirm these findings. The results of this limited study suggest that a disease-specific measure is required to assess the impact 1SS on health-related Quality of life (QOL). [source] Health-related quality of life profiles based on survivorship status for head and neck cancer patients,HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 3 2007David P. Goldstein MD Abstract Background. As the methodologies for evaluating health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in head and neck cancer patients have matured over the past 10 years, there has been an increasing focus on reporting longitudinal data. These studies have primarily focused on long-term survivors. This study addresses the HRQOL of both long-term and short-term survivors. Methods. This is a prospective, longitudinal study of 479 head and neck cancer patients followed for at least 3 years after diagnosis. Analysis of longitudinally collected HRQOL scores was based on survivorship status. Results. The HRQOL for 3 survivorship groups: short-term (died <1 year), intermediate-term (died 1-3 years), and long-term survivors (alive >3 years) were different at all time points (pretreatment, 3, 6, and 12 months). Differences were greatest between the short-term and long-term survivors. Long-term survivors demonstrated the best HRQOL and an improving HRQOL trajectory at 12 months. The HRQOL of short-term survivors declined precipitously throughout all available follow-up. Intermediate-term survivors did show some improvement following treatment but had a declining HRQOL trajectory at 12 months. Conclusion. The HRQOL profiles of head and neck cancer patients differed significantly depending on survivorship status. Long-term HRQOL results should be analyzed within the context of the results for all of the patients eligible to have been included in the initial study cohort. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2007. [source] Quality of life in chronic hemodialysis patients in RussiaHEMODIALYSIS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2006Irina A. VASILIEVA Abstract The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Russian hemodialysis (HD) patients with the general population and international data, and to determine factors influencing HRQOL. One thousand forty-seven HD patients from 6 dialysis centers were studied (576 male, age 43.5±12.5 years, HD duration 55.0±47.2 months). Health-related quality of life was evaluated by SF-36. Self-appraisal Depression Scale (W. Zung), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Level of Neurotic Asthenia Scale were used. Hemodialysis patients scored significantly lower than the general Russian population in the majority of SF-36 scales. The only exception was the Mental Health score, which was even better than the general population. The Mean physical component score (PCS) of HD patients was 36.9±9.7, and the mental component score was (MCS) 44.2±10.5. In multiple linear regression analysis, increasing age, HD duration, depression level and number of days of hospitalization in the past 6 months were significant independent predictors of low PCS along with a low level of serum albumin. Advancing age was also a predictive factor for low MCS along with increase of HD duration, depression level, trait anxiety, and level of asthenia. As far as we know, this is the first study to report on HRQOL of a large sample of Russian HD patients performed using SF-36. Compared with the general population, Russian HD patients had significantly lower scores on the majority of SF-36 scales, especially in the physical domain. The mean PCS and MCS were comparable with European data for HD patients. A number of demographic, clinical, and psychological variables affect HRQOL. [source] Health-related quality of life and sorafenib,HEPATOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Giancarlo Spinzi M.D. No abstract is available for this article. [source] Effect of symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease on quality of life of patients with chronic liver diseaseHEPATOLOGY RESEARCH, Issue 4 2008Kazutomo Suzuki Aim:, Reflux esophagitis is becoming increasingly more prevalent in Japan. It has been noted that symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and chronic liver disease may adversely affect patients' quality of life. Methods:, In the present study, 238 chronic liver disease patients (151 patients with chronic hepatitis and 87 patients with liver cirrhosis) were enrolled. The diagnosis of GERD was made based on the Quality-of-Life and Utility Evaluation Survey Technology questionnaire. Health-related quality of life was evaluated using the Short Forum 36 questionnaire. Results:, Symptomatic GERD was present in 31.8% (48/151) of patients with chronic hepatitis and 36.8% (32/87) of patients with liver cirrhosis. Among the chronic hepatitis group, compared to the GERD-negative group, the GERD-positive group had significantly lower scores in six domains, including "rolelimitation due to physical problem", "bodily pain", "general health perception", "vitality", "role limitation due to emotional problem", and "mental health". Among the cirrhotic group, compared to the GERD-negative group, the GERD-positive group had significantly lower scores in the "role limitation due to emotional problem" domain. Significant improvement in the "physical functioning", "bodily pain", and "general health perception" domain scores was noted in chronic hepatitis patients treated with rabeprazole. Conclusion:, The QOL of chronic liver disease patients with symptomatic GERD was impaired. [source] Health-related quality of life of youth with inflammatory bowel disease: A comparison with published data using the PedsQL 4.0 generic core scalesINFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 6 2010Jennifer Hauser Kunz PhD Abstract Background: This study compared youth and parent-proxy reports of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to published comparison group data and examined concordance between youth and parent-proxy reports of HRQoL. Methods: One hundred thirty-six youth and parent-proxy reports on the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales were compared to published data from chronically ill, acutely ill, and healthy comparison groups using independent samples t -tests. Reporter agreement was examined using paired samples t -tests and intraclass correlations (ICCs). Results: Youth with IBD reported lower psychosocial functioning than the healthy comparison group, higher physical and social functioning than the chronically ill group, and lower school functioning than all published comparison groups. Parent-proxy reports of youth HRQoL were higher than the chronically ill group, but lower than the healthy group on all scales except psychosocial functioning. Youth with active IBD reported lower physical health domain scores than youth with inactive disease. Concordance between youth and parent-proxy reports was moderate, with the lowest agreement in school and social functioning. Conclusions: Youth with IBD and their parents rate HRQoL as lower than healthy youth but do not perceive the impact of IBD to be as limiting as in other chronic conditions. Youth report suggests that IBD may be particularly detrimental to HRQoL in the school functioning domain. Moderate agreement between parent and youth reports substantiates continued use of multiple informants in studies of pediatric HRQoL. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2010 [source] Health-related quality of life improves in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease after attending a camp sponsored by the Crohn's and colitis foundation of AmericaINFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 2 2005Melissa A. Shepanski MS Abstract Purpose: To describe the reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) after attending an IBD summer camp. Methods: A prospective analysis of quality of life was completed at an overnight camp that was exclusively for patients with IBD, which was sponsored by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. The IMPACT-II questionnaire (Canada and United States) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children were administered to the campers at the beginning and at the end of a 1-week camp to assess HRQOL and anxiety. The IMPACT-II questionnaire consists of 35 questions measuring 6 quality-of-life domains (i.e., bowel domain, systemic symptoms, emotional functioning, social functioning, body image, and treatment/interventions). The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children consists of 2 different 20-item sets of questions. One set assesses state anxiety, and the other, trait anxiety. A repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance was performed to determine the differences between scores attained before and after camp on the IMPACT-II questionnaire and in each of its domains. Paired sample t tests were performed on state and trait anxiety before and after camp. Results: A total of 125 individuals consented to participate, but 61 patients (50 girls and 11 boys; age range, 9 to 16 y) completed the IMPACT-II questionnaire in full. Of those 61 patients, 47 had Crohn's disease and 14 had ulcerative colitis. There was statistically significant improvement between the mean (±SD) precamp total score (172.95 ± 36.61) and the mean postcamp total score (178.71 ± 40.97; P = 0.035), bowel symptoms scores (P = 0.036), social functioning scores (P = 0.022), and treatment interventions scores (P = 0.012). No difference was found between anxiety scores before and after camp on either the state or trait anxiety inventories (n = 55; P > 0.05). Conclusions: Overall, HRQOL improved in children after attending IBD summer camp. This exploratory study suggests that contributing factors for these improvements may be an increase in social functioning, a better acceptance of IBD symptoms, and less distress regarding treatment interventions, suggesting that a camp that is specifically designed for children with IBD may normalize the chronic illness experience. However, future research using a multimodal measurement approach is warranted to support these conclusions. [source] Health-related quality of life of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: Comparisons and correlations between parent and clinician reportsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 4 2003Elizabeth B. Waters Abstract The improving prognosis for children with cancer refocusses attention to long-term outcomes with an emphasis on quality of life. Few studies have examined relationships and differences in reported results between the parent, child and clinician. We examined parent-proxy and clinician-reported functional status and health-related quality of life for children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Children and adolescents, 5,18 years, in the maintenance phase of treatment for ALL attending the Haematology/Oncology outpatient clinic at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, were eligible. Measures included: 1) parent-reported functional health and well-being (Child Health Questionnaire [CHQ]); 2) parent-reported condition specific quality of life (Pediatric Cancer Quality of Life inventory [PCQL]); 3) clinician ratings of physical and psychosocial health; and 4) clinical indicators. Insufficient numbers of older patients prohibited collection of adolescent self-reports. We had a 94% response and 31 participants. Mean time since diagnosis: 1.5 (SD 0.4) years. Parents reported significantly lower functioning and well-being than population norms for all CHQ scales, whereas cancer-specific quality of life was comparable to PCQL norms. Clinician reports of the child's global physical and psychosocial health were moderately associated with each other (rs = 0.56, p < 0.001), and with the parent-reported physical (rs = 0.47, p < 0.01) and psychosocial (rs = 0.56, p < 0.001) CHQ summary scores. Clinician reports of the child's psychosocial health were not associated with any clinical indicators reported regularly. The results demonstrate that the social, physical and emotional health and well-being of children with ALL is significantly poorer than the health of their community-based peers. Routinely collected indicators of clinical progress conceal the psychosocial burden of ALL. Data on health, well-being and quality of life can easily be incorporated into clinical care. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Health-related quality of life and eating disorders: A review and updateINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 2 2009Scott G. Engel PhD Abstract Objective: The aim of this article is to provide a narrative review of empirical studies related to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and eating disorders and to report recent changes in the measurement of HRQOL in eating disorders. Method: Twenty-five articles of central importance to the topic were identified in a systematic search of six databases. All articles were selected based on a consensus relevancy rating process. Key themes were extracted from the articles and validated by all authors. Results: We identify six themes in the extant empirical literature. Discussion: We discuss these six themes and review them in light of the fact that they are identified in studies using only generic measures of HRQOL. Four recently developed disease-specific HRQOL measures specific to patients with eating disorder are discussed. © 2008 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2009 [source] Health-related quality of life among old residents of nursing homes in NorwayINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING PRACTICE, Issue 5 2009Jorunn Drageset RN PhD This study examined the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of nursing home residents (, 65 years) using the Short-Form-36 Health Survey subscales and how these subscale scores are related to residents' sociodemographic and medical conditions. Residents 95,102 years old reported higher HRQOL than younger respondents. Those with more education reported higher HRQOL. Residents who reported hobbies or special interests had a higher HRQOL score on vitality and mental health variables. Finally, respondents with no comorbid illness scored highest on all HRQOL dimensions, and this was statistically significant for physical functioning and bodily pain. In conclusion, respondents generally reported highly limited physical functioning and slightly limited social functioning. To improve the situation of residents, more attention should be paid to the environment of nursing homes and residents' hobbies and special interests. [source] Health-related quality of life and sexual function in women with stress urinary incontinence and overactive bladderINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 1 2008Seung-June Oh Background: We evaluated the impact of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and overactive bladder (OAB) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and sexual function. Methods: A total of 245 women (SUI; n = 123 and OAB; n = 122) from 21 to 79 years old (mean 50.4) were included in the primary analyses. To obtain HRQOL and sexual function assessments, patients were asked to fill in the ,Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (BFLUTS)' and the ,Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36)' questionnaires. Results: Of the eight domains in the SF-36 questionnaire, only ,general health' was significantly different between the groups. Patients with SUI had a better general health than those with OAB (P = 0.016). When comparing the BFLUTS scores in the two groups, the score for ,BFLUTS-filling symptoms' was higher in the OAB group (P = 0.002) but that for ,BFLUTS-incontinence symptoms' was higher in the SUI group (P < 0.001). The score for ,BFLUTS-sex' was higher in the SUI group than in the OAB group but this was not statistically significant (P = 0.096). Of the 169 patients who had a sex life, the SUI group had experienced pain (P = 0.033) and leakage (P = 0.056) more frequently during intercourse than the OAB group. Conclusion: Both SUI and OAB have a detrimental impact on patient HRQOL in Korean women. In addition, our findings suggest that women with SUI had more frequently experienced pain during intercourse and coital incontinence than those with OAB. [source] A systematic review of health-related quality of life instruments used for people with venous ulcers: an assessment of their suitability and psychometric propertiesJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 19-20 2010Simon J Palfreyman Aims and objectives., To review the quality of life questionnaires used to measure the impact of venous ulceration and to evaluate their psychometric properties. Background., Venous leg ulcers have a negative impact on quality of life. Health-related quality of life can be measured using structured questionnaires. Nurses are the primary care providers for patients with venous ulceration and are ideally placed to assess and develop these types of questionnaires. There may also be an opportunity to use such quality of life instruments to measure the impact of nursing interventions in other areas where nurses are the key care providers. Design., Systematic review. Method., Studies were sought that used quality of life instruments to evaluate the impact of venous ulceration. Fourteen electronic bibliographical databases and 11 Internet-based health services research related resources were searched. In addition, grey literature was sought and the reference lists of relevant articles checked. Data were extracted regarding the type of instrument used, sample, number of items and domains and psychometric performance of the instrument. Results., The initial search identified a total of 338 potential citations. After review, a total of 31 studies were included: 17 used generic and 14 used disease-specific instruments. Five different types of generic and seven disease-specific instruments were identified. There was significant heterogeneity between the studies in terms of study design, aetiology of ulceration and times of assessment. The disease-specific instruments showed limitations in relation to their applicability to venous ulcer patients because of flaws in design or validation. Conclusions., The literature on quality of life related to venous ulceration failed to sufficiently distinguish between those with different causes of leg ulceration. There appeared to be problems with the ability of current quality of life instruments to detect changes in quality of life related to ulcer healing. Relevance to clinical practice., There appears to be an opportunity for nurses to develop a health-related quality of life health-related quality of life instruments to evaluate their impact on patient outcomes. Such instruments could potentially allow nursing interventions to be assessed more effectively than the recently proposed nursing metrics. [source] Assessing health-related quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Zhejiang, ChinaJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 1-2 2010Yunxian Zhou Aims., The aim of this study was to assess health-related quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Zhejiang, Mainland China. Background., The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease in China is believed to be low but has been increasing in the past decade. The quality of life of Chinese patients with inflammatory bowel disease is unknown. Design., A cross-sectional study. Methods., The study was conducted in 92 patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Zhejiang, China, 52 with ulcerative colitis and 40 with Crohn's disease. Health-related quality of life was measured by the Chinese version of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire and Short Form-36, respectively. Disease activity was assessed by the Walmsley and Harvey,Bradshaw simple indices for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, respectively. Demographic and clinical variables were also recorded. Short Form-36 data from the study sample were compared with a reference population of 1688 Chinese people residing in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Results., No significant health-related quality of life differences were found between patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease (p > 0·05). Pooled data showed that inflammatory bowel disease patients with active disease had significantly lower scores for all eight dimensions of Short Form-36 compared to those in remission (p < 0·01); those with active disease scored significantly lower than population norms in all dimensions of Short Form-36 except mental health (p < 0·05); whereas those in remission scored significantly lower than population norms in role physical (p < 0·01) and general health dimensions (p < 0·05). The regression analyses identified only disease activity index and employment status to explain variations in health-related quality of life (p < 0·01). Conclusions., Inflammatory bowel disease similarly impairs health-related quality of life in patients with both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Relevance to clinical practice., The results suggest that any interventions that produce a stable clinical remission, whether medical or surgical, allowing patients to return to their usual work position can decrease the disease impact on their daily lives. [source] Health-related quality of life in persons with long-term pain after a strokeJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 4 2004Marita Widar MSc Background., No study has, to our knowledge, previously been published on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a group suffering from long-term pain after a stroke. Aim., The aim of the present study was to describe HRQoL in persons with long-term pain after a stroke, and to compare this with different types of pain conditions, age, gender and household status. Design., This study has a design combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Methods., Forty three participants suffering from long-term pain after a stroke were included. A qualitative interview was performed and then analysed by means of latent content analysis. In addition, two self-report questionnaires, SF-36 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD Scale), were used. Results., The qualitative data revealed that physical and cognitive functioning, economic security and good relationships, support and having the ability to be together with family and friends were important factors with regard to experienced HRQoL. No significant differences were found in SF-36 and the HAD Scale with regard to the different types of pain. The older age group had decreased physical functioning in SF-36. The men had more decreased vitality than the women. Conclusion., The results show, that the participants in this study have a lower HRQoL due to their long-term pain than those in previous studies on stroke survivors. It is evident that further research is needed with longitudinal studies and larger populations to gain more knowledge and thereby provide better supportive care. Relevance to clinical practice., Awareness and understanding of the patients' perceptions and transitions with regard to their life situation and suffering from long-term pain after a stroke is important in order to support a maintained or increased HRQoL. This is also important after the acute stage and rehabilitation, including quality of life of the relatives, especially to older and dependent persons. [source] Health-related quality of life and symptom classification in patients with irritable bowel syndromeJOURNAL OF NURSING AND HEALTHCARE OF CHRONIC ILLNE SS: AN INTERNATIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 1 2010Graeme D Smith smith gd, steinke dt, penny ki, kinnear m & penman id (2010) Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness2, 4,12 Health- related quality of life and symptom classification in patients with irritable bowel syndrome Background., Previous research has established that health-related quality of life can be adversely affected by irritable bowel syndrome IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome has been classified to subgroups by predominant bowel symptom: constipation, diarrhoea or alternating between the two. Little is presently known about the specific impact of irritable bowel syndrome on health-related quality of life within disease sub-groups across time. Aims., To examine the health-related quality of life in a cohort of individuals with irritable bowel syndrome to explore the association between quality of life and disease subtype classification. Setting., The general population of the UK. Design., Longitudinal cohort survey was conducted. Methods., Individuals with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome were recruited via a UK-wide newspaper advertisement. The health-related quality of life was measured using a battery of validated questionnaires. Results., Data on 494 participants with a Rome II confirmed diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome were examined. Measurement of generic health-related quality of life revealed lower median scores (poorer quality of life) in anxiety/depression and pain/discomfort domains of health. Conclusion., Health-related quality of life is impaired in community based individuals with IBS. Patients appear to fluctuate between sub-groups when irritable bowel syndrome is classified across time. This study suggests that the impact of irritable bowel syndrome may be greatly underestimated. Relevance for clinical practice., The use of sub-group classification and understanding of predictive factors may allow for a more flexible and efficient approach to healthcare assessment and patient care for people with irritable bowel syndrome. [source] Psoriasis: is the impairment to a patient's life cumulative?JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 9 2010AB Kimball Abstract Psoriasis is associated with significant physical and psychological burden affecting all facets of a patient's life , relationships, social activities, work and emotional wellbeing. The cumulative effect of this disability may be self-perpetuating social disconnection and failure to achieve a ,full life potential' in some patients. Health-related quality of life studies have quantified the burden of psoriasis providing predominantly cross-sectional data and point-in-time images of patients' lives rather than assessing the possible cumulative disability over a patient's lifetime. However, social and economic outcomes indicate there are likely negative impacts that accumulate over time. To capture the cumulative effect of psoriasis and its associated co-morbidities and stigma over a patient's life course, we propose the concept of ,Cumulative Life Course Impairment' (CLCI). CLCI results from an interaction between (A) the burden of stigmatization, and physical and psychological co-morbidities and (B) coping strategies and external factors. Several key aspects of the CLCI concept are supported by data similar to that used in health-related quality of life assessments. Future research should focus on (i) establishing key components of CLCI and determining the mechanisms of impairment through longitudinal or retrospective case,control studies, and (ii) assessing factors that put patients at increased risk of developing CLCI. In the future, this concept may lead to a better understanding of the overall impact of psoriasis, help identify more vulnerable patients, and facilitate more appropriate treatment decisions or earlier referrals. To our knowledge, this is a first attempt to apply and develop concepts from ,Life Course Epidemiology' to psoriasis research. [source] Health-related quality of life among adult patients with moderate and severe von Willebrand diseaseJOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, Issue 7 2010E. M. DE WEE Summary.,Background:,von Willebrand Disease (VWD) is the most frequent inherited bleeding disorder. It is unknown how this disorder affects quality of life. Objectives:,This nationwide multicenter cross-sectional study determined health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in adult patients with moderate or severe VWD, and assessed whether bleeding severity and type of VWD are associated with HR-QoL. Methods:,HR-QoL was assessed using the Short Form (SF)-36, and bleeding severity was measured using the Bleeding Score (BS). Results:,Five hundred and nine patients participated; 192 males and 317 females, median age and range 45 (16,87) and 47 (16,84) years, respectively. Compared with the general population, HR-QoL in VWD patients was lower in the vitality domain (61 vs. 66 P < 0.001 for females, 67 vs. 72 P < 0.001 for males). Patients with the most severe bleeding phenotype (highest quartile BS, BS > 17) had a lower HR-QoL in eight domains than patients with a less severe bleeding type (lowest quartile BS, BS < 7) in the univariate analysis. After adjustment for age, gender, co-morbidity and employment/educational status, a more severe bleeding phenotype was associated with lower scores on the domains of physical functioning, role limitations due to physical functioning, bodily pain, general health, social functioning and physical component summary. Conclusions:,HR-QoL is lower in VWD patients compared with the general population. HR-QoL is strongly associated with bleeding phenotype. [source] Health-related quality of life in a cohort of adult patients with mild hemophilia AJOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, Issue 5 2008M. WALSH Summary.,Objectives:,To compare the health-related quality of life among adult males affected with mild hemophilia A due to the same mutation (Val2016ala) to that of unaffected age and sex matched controls from the same general population. Methods:,The Short-Form 36 (SF-36) and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) were used to measure health-related quality of life and physical function. Other measures included bleeding history, a measure of joint damage, body mass index, age, and viral infection status. Cross-sectional data were collected through research clinics and a retrospective chart audit over a two-year period. Results and Conclusions:,The study included 47 affected males and 33 controls. The affected males had a higher level of co-morbidity, prior bleeding, and existing joint damage than controls. With the exception of the social function and health transition scales, mean scores for each of the SF-36 domains were worse among affected males. Mean differences were more than a clinically important five points in five of eight domains, with the general health scale showing more than a 10-point difference. Despite the degree of difference noted, only two of the differences were statistically significant (general health and role emotional scales) because of the small sample size and considerable individual variation in SF-36 scale scores. Multiple regression analyses suggested existing joint damage and presence of heart disease as the strongest associates of lower physical health-related quality of life. Joint damage in turn was partly related to prior hemarthroses. Compared to the Canadian population, affected males had lower scores in six out of eight SF-36 domains as well as the physical component summary score. There were no significant differences found in the HAQ scores between the two groups. So-called mild hemophilia A was associated with a negative effect on physical health-related quality of life, contributed to by joint damage as a result of prior bleeding. [source] Health-related quality of life in patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease under routine care: 5-year follow-up results of the ProGERD studyALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 6 2009M. NOCON Summary Background, Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disorder associated with substantial reductions in health-related quality of life (HRQL). Aim, To describe patterns of change in HRQL during 5 years of follow-up in a large population of GERD patients. Methods, In 2000, a total of 6215 GERD patients were enrolled in the Progression of GERD (ProGERD) study. During follow-up, patients received any medication considered necessary. HRQL was assessed yearly with the Short-Form 36 and the Quality of Life in Reflux and Dyspepsia (QOLRAD) questionnaires. Associations between patient characteristics and changes in HRQL were analysed using multiple logistic regression models. Results, After 5 years, data on HRQL were available for 4597 (74%) patients. Both generic and disease-specific HRQL improved after baseline and remained well above baseline levels in the following years. A clinically relevant decrease in QOLRAD scores was reported by 3,5% of patients. According to our multivariate analysis, a decrease in HRQL was associated with a higher reflux symptom load and the presence of night-time heartburn. Conclusions, Only a small minority of the ProGERD population reported a clinically relevant decrease in HRQL, which was associated most strongly with nocturnal heartburn. [source] Determinants of quality of life in chronic liver patientsALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 11 2006J. J. GUTTELING Summary Background and aim Health-related quality of life of patients with chronic liver disease has been shown to be impaired in numerous studies. However, the factors which influence health-related quality of life in treated chronic liver patients are not quite known. This is the first study to assess the impact of physical and psychosocial determinants on a weighted score of health-related quality of life in patients with chronic liver disease. Methods The data of 1175 chronic liver patients were used to assess the relationship between items of the disease-specific Liver Disease Symptom Index 2.0 and the Short Form (SF)-6D weighted utility score by means of linear regression analyses. Results Health-related quality of life was most strongly related to disease severity (B = ,0.029) and joint pain (B = ,0.023). Depression (B = ,0.014), pain in the right upper abdomen (B = ,0.014), decreased appetite (B = 0.014) and fatigue (B = ,0.013) were also strongly related to health-related quality of life. In hepatitis C virus patients, disease severity (B = ,0.037) and depression (B = ,0.030) were strong determinants of health-related quality of life. Conclusions This study shows that health-related quality of life in chronic liver patients is clearly determined by disease severity, joint pain, depression, decreased appetite and fatigue. These patients may benefit most from interventions aimed at improving adaptation to the symptoms described. [source] Comparing the safety, tolerability and quality of life in patients with chronic hepatitis B vs chronic hepatitis C treated with peginterferon alpha-2aLIVER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2008Patrick Marcellin Abstract Background/Aims: Hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) are two clinically distinct but related diseases. Pooled data from five studies of peginterferon alpha-2a in patients with chronic HCV infection (CHC) were compared with two studies of the drug in patients with chronic HBV infection (CHB). Method: The HBV studies included both hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive (n=271) and HBeAg-negative (n=177) patients; 791 patients took part in the HCV trials. In all studies, patients were treated with 180 ,g peginterferon alpha-2a monotherapy once weekly for 48 weeks. The number of adverse events (AEs), discontinuations and dose modifications were documented. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) was assessed using the Short-Form 36 questionnaire. Safety was assessed throughout the treatment period. A 24-week treatment-free follow-up period was also included. Results: Differences (HBV vs HCV) were observed in the incidence of AEs (88,89 vs 96,100%), serious AEs (4,5 vs 7,16%) and treatment withdrawals (6,8 vs 17,33%). The frequency of depression-related events was lower in CHB patients (4 vs 22%, P<0.001), as was the impact of treatment on HRQL. Conclusions: The safety and tolerability of peginterferon alpha-2a in patients with CHB compares favourably with that observed in CHC patients, with a lower incidence of common interferon-related AEs and a significantly lower incidence of depression. [source] Health-related quality of life and employment status of liver transplant patientsLIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 1 2009Fredrik Åberg Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is one preferable outcome measure of medical interventions such as liver transplantation (LT). The aim of this study was to compare HRQoL of LT patients with that of the general population and to assess the employment status of LT patients. HRQoL was measured with the 15D instrument, a validated, non,disease-specific, 15-dimensional, self-administered HRQoL instrument. The questionnaire was sent to all adult LT patients in Finland (401 patients) alive in June 2007. The response rate was 89% (353 patients). The results were compared to those of 6050 age-standardized and gender-standardized controls from the general population. LT patients (mean age, 55 years; range, 20-82) had slightly worse HRQoL scores than the general population (mean 15D score, 0.889 versus 0.907; P < 0.002). Survival time and retransplantation did not affect HRQoL significantly in age-adjusted and gender-adjusted analyses. HRQoL decreased with increasing age (P < 0.0001). Patients transplanted for acute liver failure (ALF) or chronic liver disease (CLD) had significantly worse HRQoL than the general population (P = 0.014 and P = 0.040). Forty-four percent of working-age patients were employed at the time of the study. Persons that were employed had significantly better HRQoL than those unemployed (15D scores, 0.934 versus 0.859; P < 0.0001). Eighty-seven percent of patients experienced improved working capacity after LT. Early retirement was the most common cause of unemployment (56% of unemployed patients), and those patients presented with worse HRQoL than patients unemployed for other reasons. In conclusion, HRQoL of LT patients is very close to that of the general population. Older age, CLD, and ALF impair HRQoL. Employment is an indicator of HRQoL. Liver Transpl 15:64,72, 2009. © 2008 AASLD. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||