Positive Health-related Quality Of Life Research Articles

Health‐related quality of life among survivors of aggressive non‐Hodgkin lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is the fifth most common cancer among men and women. Patients with aggressive NHL receive intense medical treatments that can significantly compromise health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, knowledge of HRQOL and its correlates among survivors of aggressive NHL is limited. Self-reported data on HRQOL (physical and mental function, anxiety, depression, and fatigue) were analyzed for 319 survivors of aggressive NHL. Survivors 2 to 5 years postdiagnosis were selected from the Los Angeles County Cancer Registry. Bivariate and multivariable methods were used to assess the influence of sociodemographic, clinical, and cognitive health-appraisal factors on survivors' HRQOL. After accounting for other covariates, marital status was associated with all HRQOL outcomes (P < .05). Younger survivors reported worse mental function and higher levels of depression, anxiety, and fatigue (P < .01). Survivors who had more comorbid conditions or lacked private health insurance reported worse physical and mental function and higher levels of depression and fatigue (P < .05). Survivors who experienced a recurrence reported worse physical function and higher levels of depression and fatigue (P < .05). With the exception of a nonsignificant association between perceived control and physical function, greater perceptions of personal control and health competence were associated significantly with more positive HRQOL outcomes (P < .01). The current results indicated that survivors of aggressive NHL who are younger, are unmarried, lack private insurance, or experience greater illness burden may be at risk for poorer HRQOL. Cognitive health-appraisal factors were strongly related to HRQOL, suggesting potential benefits of interventions focused on these mutable factors for this population.

A 12-Month Evaluation of Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes of Methadone Maintenance Program in a Rural Malaysian Sample

This paper focuses on the evaluation of addiction program effectiveness which involves changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) profile. This study was conducted from 2007 until 2010 at a rural methadone maintenance treatment center in Malaysia to assess HRQoL outcomes before and after treatment. Fifty-seven respondents completed the WHOQOL-BREF at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months postintervention. Data were analyzed using nonparametric techniques (SPSS 15). Significant and positive HRQoL impacts were demonstrated. Future studies with larger sample are encouraged. This study was supported by the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

Association of Family Stressful Life-Change Events and Health-Related Quality of Life in Fifth-Grade Children

To examine the association of recent family-related stressful life-change events (SLEs) with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in fifth graders. Population-based, cross-sectional survey. Three US metropolitan areas; 2004-2006. A total of 5147 fifth graders and their parents. Nine recent family-related SLEs: a parent's death, another family member's death, a family member's injury/illness, a family member's alcohol/drug problems, loss of a pet, recent change of residence, addition of a new baby or child to the household, parental separation, and parental divorce. The HRQOL measured using the 23-item Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Twenty-four percent of children had no reported recent SLEs; 33% had 1, 25% had 2, 12% had 3, and 6% had 4 or more. Mean HRQOL scores (total, physical, and psychosocial scales) were lower for children with more SLEs. The mean total HRQOL score was 80.4 (95% confidence interval, 79.4-81.3) for children with no recent SLEs and 71.8 (70.2-73.5) for children with 4 or more SLEs (P < .001). In adjusted logistic regression analyses, children with more SLEs had greater odds of impaired HRQOL compared with children without any SLEs. Psychosocial HRQOL fully mediated the relationship between SLEs and physical HRQOL. The occurrence of multiple family-related SLEs in children is associated with less positive HRQOL. By incorporating the needs of families as part of comprehensive, high-quality care, health care professionals can identify these types of family-level needs and assist families in accessing community resources for support.

Nurse-led telephone follow-up and an educational group programme after breast cancer treatment: Results of a 2 × 2 randomised controlled trial

Objective To investigate whether frequent hospital follow-up in the first year after breast cancer treatment might partly be replaced by nurse-led telephone follow-up without deteriorating health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and whether a short educational group programme (EGP) would enhance HRQoL. Patients and methods A multicentre pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT) with a 2 × 2 factorial design was performed among 320 breast cancer patients who were treated with curative intent. Participants were randomised to follow-up care as usual (3-monthly outpatient clinic visits), nurse-led telephone follow-up, or the former strategies combined with an educational group programme. The primary outcome for both interventions was HRQoL, measured by EORTC QLQ-C30. Secondary outcomes were role and emotional functioning and feelings of control and anxiety. Results Data of 299 patients were available for evaluation. There was no significant difference in HRQoL between nurse-led telephone and hospital follow-up at 12 months after treatment ( p = 0.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) for difference: −1.93–4.64) and neither between follow-up with or without EGP ( p = 0.86; 95% CI for difference: −3.59–3.00). Furthermore, no differences between the intervention groups and their corresponding control groups were found in role and emotional functioning, and feelings of control and anxiety (all p-values >0.05). Conclusion Replacement of most hospital follow-up visits in the first year after breast cancer treatment by nurse-led telephone follow-up does not impede patient outcomes. Hence, nurse-led telephone follow-up seems an appropriate way to reduce clinic visits and represents an accepted alternative strategy. An EGP does not unequivocally affect positive HRQoL outcomes.

Job Resumption Status, Hindering Factors, and Interpersonal Relationship Within Post–Heart Transplant 1 to 4 Years as Perceived by Heart Transplant Recipients in Taiwan: A Between-Method Triangulation Study

Introduction This project examined heart transplant (HT) recipients' perspectives of (a) the changes in their working competence (WC), status for job resumption and related factors at 1- to 2-year, 2- to 3-year, and 3- to 4-year stages; and (b) impacts of HT on interpersonal relationships (IPR). Method We used a between-method triangulation (including qualitative and quantitative data) design. Quantitative data were collected using the Vertical Visual Analogue Scale and Taiwan's version of the World Health Organization Health-Related Quality-of-Life (HRQoL) questionnaire. Six qualitative semistructured questions were further applied to explore social and environmental domains. Results The Fifty subjects (86% males and 14% females) had an age range from 20 to 70 years old (mean, 47.68 years). Their post-HT time ranged from 1 to 4.1 years with 42%, 42%, and 16% at 1- to 2-, 2- to 3-, or 3- to 4-years post-HT, respectively. Within 6 months, 10% of administration or restaurant staff, and police resumed their jobs. At 6 to 12 months, 8% of administration, quality control, and design and planning staff resumed their jobs. At 12 months, 14% of educators, insurance personnel, managers, informatics engineers, and ironworkers resumed their jobs. Hindering factors to returning to work included (a) physical (ie, lack of energy, second heart attack, recurrence of rejection, physical discomforts of dizziness, memory lapses/lack of concentration or bone pain from osteoporosis); (b) psychological (ie, lack of confidence, worries about discrimination, being different, maladaptation); and (c) environmental (inadequate job opportunities due to poor socioeconomic conditions). Additionally, 34% reported worse IPR after HT due to diet limitations, slower pacing, less contacts with friends, and changes in personality. Reflections on both the meaning and value of life caused 10% to report better IPR with a better personality and positive mindset. By the end of the first postoperative year, the mean score of HRQoL in the preoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) group was similar to the non-preoperative ECMO group; the mean scores of WC and physical functions for the preoperative ECMO group were even higher than the non-preoperative ECMO group. Meanwhile, the mean scores of HRQoL and WC were higher in the Clinical Trail Plan (CTP) group than non-CTP groups across the three stages. As such, the use of preoperative ECMO and CTP groups are suggested to be both clinically and significantly associated with HTs recovery in heath status, positive HRQoL, and job resumption in the society. Finally, HRQoL and related domains of physical, psychological, social, and environmental health were stable at 12 months post-HT, with no significant change between 1- to 2-, 2- to 3-, and 3- to 4-years post-HT.

505 Improving the quality and efficiency of breast cancer follow-up: results from an RCT

To investigate whether frequent hospital follow-up in the first year after breast cancer treatment might partly be replaced by nurse-led telephone follow-up without deteriorating health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and whether a short educational group programme (EGP) would enhance HRQoL.A multicentre pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT) with a 2 × 2 factorial design was performed among 320 breast cancer patients who were treated with curative intent. Participants were randomised to follow-up care as usual (3-monthly outpatient clinic visits), nurse-led telephone follow-up, or the former strategies combined with an educational group programme. The primary outcome for both interventions was HRQoL, measured by EORTC QLQ-C30. Secondary outcomes were role and emotional functioning and feelings of control and anxiety.Data of 299 patients were available for evaluation. There was no significant difference in HRQoL between nurse-led telephone and hospital follow-up at 12 months after treatment (p = 0.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) for difference: −1.93–4.64) and neither between follow-up with or without EGP (p = 0.86; 95% CI for difference: −3.59–3.00). Furthermore, no differences between the intervention groups and their corresponding control groups were found in role and emotional functioning, and feelings of control and anxiety (all p-values >0.05).Replacement of most hospital follow-up visits in the first year after breast cancer treatment by nurse-led telephone follow-up does not impede patient outcomes. Hence, nurse-led telephone follow-up seems an appropriate way to reduce clinic visits and represents an accepted alternative strategy. An EGP does not unequivocally affect positive HRQoL outcomes.

Effects of Mode and Order of Administration on Generic Health-Related Quality of Life Scores

We evaluate the effects of mode and order of administration on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores. We analyzed HRQOL data from the Clinical Outcomes and Measurement of Health Study (COMHS). In COMHS, we enrolled patients with heart failure or cataracts at three sites (University of California, San Diego, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of Wisconsin). Patients completed self-administered HRQOL instruments at baseline and months 1 and 6 post-baseline, including the EuroQol (EQ-5D), Health Utilities Index (HUI), Quality of Well-Being Scale--self-administered (QWB-SA), and the Short Form (SF)-36v2. At the 6 months follow-up, individuals were randomized to mail or telephone administration first, followed by the other mode of administration. We used repeated measures mixed effects models, adjusting for site, patient age, education, gender, and race. Included were 121 individuals entering a heart failure program and 326 individuals scheduled for cataract surgery who completed the survey by mail or phone at the 6-month follow-up. The majority of the sample was female (53%) and white (86%). About a quarter of the sample had high school education or less (26%). The average age was 66 (36-91 range). HRQOL scores were higher (more positive) for phone administration following mail administration. The largest differences in scores between phone and mail responses occurred for comparisons of telephone responses for those who were randomized to a mail survey first compared with mail responses for those randomized to a telephone survey first (i.e., mode effects for responses that were given on the second administration of the HRQOL measures). The QWB-SA was the only measure that did not display the pattern of mode effects. The biggest differences between modes were 4 points on the SF-36v2 physical health and mental health component summary scores, 0.06 on the SF-6D, 0.03 on the QWB-SA, 0.08 on the EQ-5D, 0.04 on the HUI2, and 0.10 on the HUI3. Telephone administration yields significantly more positive HRQOL scores for all of the generic HRQOL measures except for the QWB-SA. The magnitude of effects was clearly important, with some differences as large as a half-standard deviation. These findings confirm the importance of considering mode of administration when interpreting HRQOL scores.

The Influence of Husbands' or Male Partners' Support on Women's Psychosocial Adjustment to Having an Ostomy Resulting From Colorectal Cancer

Some patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) require a permanent ostomy, which changes bodily function and can create psychosocial distress. However, little is known about the influence of men's support on women's psychosocial adjustment to having an ostomy as a result of CRC. Participants initially completed the City of Hope-CRC Quality of Life questionnaire. We then conducted in-depth interviews with 30 female participants. Interview questions focused on body image, gender, and sexuality. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. We used qualitative methods to analyze the interview data and compared global health-related quality of life (HRQOL) quartile scores to the overall ways that women discussed husbands' or partners' support regarding psychosocial adjustments to having ostomies. Of 30 participants, 22 were married or partnered at the time of surgery and 8 were single. The nonpartnered respondents are not included in this analysis. Of the 22 married/partnered women, 17 described positive support from husbands being central to their psychosocial adjustment, 3 described a lack or withdrawal of support negatively affecting adjustment, and 2 described support as neither positive nor negative. In 17 cases, women's high or low quantitative HRQOL scores matched the positive or negative qualitative findings. There were 3 cases in which there were positive qualitative data and low HRQOL scores, but in each of these cases, women reported serious current comorbidities. These findings suggest that the provision or withdrawal of husbands' or partners' support can have a considerable impact on the psychosocial adjustment of female CRC patients with ostomies. These findings appear to be both short term and long term. Survivorship assessments should include appraisals of women's relationships to their spouses/partners.

The Association Between Early Outcome, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Survival Following Elective Open-Heart Surgery

We investigated the impact of perioperative complications on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQL) and intermediate-term survival after cardiac surgery. Improved results for cardiac surgery are well demonstrated in low rates of operative mortality and morbidity. However, the association between perioperative morbid events, HRQL at 1 year, and survival is unclear. We performed a prospective study among 836 elective cardiac surgery patients to assess the impact of perioperative outcomes on survival and HRQL at 1 year. Health-related quality of life was generated using the 20-item short-form questionnaire. Kaplan-Meier and life-table estimates were used to examine the relationship of HRQL at 1-year and intermediate-term survival. All HRQL domains were statistically improved at 1 year, with the highest gains in general health perception (+19.4%) and the least gains in social (+5.1%) and mental (+5.1%) domains. Patients experiencing 1 or more perioperative complication or increased length of stay reported similar HRQL scores as patients with no complications. Patients with negative changes in social (94.5% vs 99.2%, P < .001) and general health perception (99.4% vs 95.5%, P < .001) domains showed a reduced survival compared with patients with positive HRQL gains at 2 to 5 years after surgery. Perioperative complications had minimal or no effect on HRQL at 1 year after cardiac surgery.

Mode of Administration Is Important in US National Estimates of Health-Related Quality of Life

It is unknown if different national surveys that vary in mode of administration yield similar national averages for health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Examine HRQoL scores from 4 surveys representative of the noninstitutionalized US adult population for patterns related to age, gender, and mode of administration. We use data from the Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health (JCUSH; telephone survey), 2002 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS; mail survey), National Health Measurement Study (NHMS; telephone survey), and US Valuation of the EuroQol EQ-5D Health States Survey (USVEQ; self-administered with interviewer present). We compare estimates from the EQ-5D, Visual Analog Scale, Health Utilities Index Mark 3, and general self-rated health stratified by age and gender. Scores were also regressed on age and gender within each survey and in a pooled analysis. We used 4939 subjects from JCUSH, 23,006 from MEPS, 3844 from NHMS, and 3878 from USVEQ. The majority of age and gender strata had instrument completion rates above 85%. Age- and gender-stratified estimates of HRQoL scores tended to be consistent when mode of administration (self- or interviewer-administered) was the same. Telephone administration yielded more positive HRQoL estimates than self-administration in older age groups. Older age groups and females reported lower HRQoL than younger age groups and males regardless of mode of administration. When choosing survey-collected HRQoL scores for comparative purposes, analysts need to take mode of administration into account.

Use of health-related quality of life information in managed care formulary decision-making

Background The extent to which the increased volume of available health-related quality of life (HRQOL) information and heightened education has increased the acceptance and use of HRQOL remains unclear. Likewise, the value of HRQOL information in the formulary decision-making process continues to be undefined. Objective To investigate the perceptions and use of HRQOL by managed care decision-makers in the formulary development process. Methods A mail survey was sent to a nationwide sample of 108 Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) members who were involved in formulary management. Survey candidates were identified according to their job titles listed in the 1999-2000 AMCP membership directory. The survey process began in May 2000 and ended in August 2000. The main outcome measures included ( a) managed care formulary decision-makers' assessment of HRQOL as a treatment outcome, ( b) the existing role and future use of HRQOL information in formulary decisions, and ( c) the level of understanding of HRQOL concepts and the benefits attributable to favorable HRQOL results. Results A response rate of 51.9% was obtained. Most of the respondents (>70%) believed that patients consider HRQOL as an important treatment outcome. Fewer respondents (43%) felt that payers view HRQOL outcomes as an important quality indicator. Most respondents (95%) considered HRQOL data in making formulary decisions, and many (73%) believe that HRQOL outcomes will play a more important role in future formulary decisions. Respondents indicated a better understanding of disease-specific and generic HRQOL measurements than utility measurement and interpretation of results. A minority of respondents (34%) would be willing to pay a higher price for a product with better HRQOL outcomes. When asked which factors would lead to increased use of HRQOL information, respondents indicated that health care cost savings and increased productivity were considered important (77% and 65%, respectively). Conclusions A drug product with better HRQOL outcomes alone will not command a favorable listing on managed care formularies. HRQOL information needs to be made more applicable to managed care decision-making. Future studies should focus on the link between positive HRQOL outcomes, health care cost savings, and increased productivity.

A Measure of Positive Health-Related Quality of Life: The Satisfaction with Illness Scale

The Satisfaction with Illness Scale measures the extent to which chronic or acute physical illness has had positive consequences for patients. In a sample of 52 persons with chronic bronchitis, the scale was shown to have good internal consistency and to correlate .42 with another scale of positive life satisfaction.