Related Quality Of Life Assessment Research Articles

Feasibility of self-reported health related quality of life assessment with older people in residential care: insights from the application of eye tracking technology

PurposeIncreasingly there are calls to routinely assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of older people receiving aged care services, however the high prevalence of dementia and cognitive impairment remains a challenge to implementation. Eye-tracking technology facilitates detailed assessment of engagement and comprehension of visual stimuli, and may be useful in flagging individuals and populations who cannot reliably self-complete HRQoL instruments. The aim of this study was to apply eye-tracking technology to provide insights into self-reporting of HRQoL among older people in residential care with and without cognitive impairment.MethodsResidents (n = 41), recruited based on one of three cognition subgroups (no, mild, or moderate cognitive impairment), completed the EQ-5D-5L on a computer with eye tracking technology embedded. Number and length of fixations (i.e., eye gaze in seconds) for key components of the EQ-5D-5L descriptive system were calculated.ResultsFor all dimensions, participants with no cognitive impairment fixated for longer on the Area of Interest (AOI) for the response option they finally chose, relative to those with mild or moderate cognitive impairment. Participants with cognitive impairment followed similar fixation patterns to those without. There was some evidence that participants with cognitive impairment took longer to complete and spent relatively less time attending to the relevant AOIs, but these differences did not reach statistical significance generally.ConclusionsThis exploratory study applying eye tracking technology provides novel insights and evidence of the feasibility of self-reported HRQoL assessments in older people in aged care settings where cognitive impairment and dementia are highly prevalent.

AB056. SOH23ABS_126. Physical activity and frailty as part of health related quality of life assessment in oesophageal cancer survivors following oesophagectomy

AB056. SOH23ABS_126. Physical activity and frailty as part of health related quality of life assessment in oesophageal cancer survivors following oesophagectomy

The Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Lung Function, Exercise Capacity and Quality of Life in a Cohort of Survivors

Background: The lung function outcome among COVID-19 survivors in Hong Kong remained unknown. Methods: Patients above the age of 18 years old with the principal diagnosis of COVID-19 who were discharged from a tertiary center in Hong Kong between the period of 1st February 2020 to 31st July 2020 were offered three lung function tests at approximately one, three and six months upon discharge for monitoring of their outcome. Six-minute walk test (6MWT) and health related quality of life assessment by Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form General Health Survey (SF-36) were arranged on the same day of lung function test. Results: Thirty patients had lung function test performed within 60 days after discharge. Nineteen and twelve patients had lung function test performed at 60-180 days and 180 days after discharge respectively. After corrected for underlying lung diseases, 32% patients have reduced hemoglobin adjusted DLCO and PImax, while 88% patients have reduced PEmax. For patients with serial lung function performed, adjusted DLCO and PImax improved with time. The exercise capacity of COVID-19 survivors was significantly lower than normal subjects in most age groups. COVID-19 survivors have lower quality of life in the context of physical functioning, social functioning and role limitation due to physical problems, compared with normal subjects. Conclusion: COVID-19 leads to lung function abnormalities including reduced diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide, maximal inspiratory pressure and maximal expiratory pressure in more than 40% of patients, which improved with time. Exercise capacity and health status of COVID-19 survivors are lower than normal subjects.

PS-C24-12: HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE, AND OUTCOMES IN ADULTS WITH HEART FAILURE: AGE AND SEX-RELATED DIFFERENCES AND THE ROLE OF HYPERTENSION

Objective: Hypertension is the commonest cause of heart failure. Heart failure is a pandemic and major driver of mortality; limiting disease progression and improving health related quality of life remains the cornerstone of management. There is dearth of information on quality of life in Africans with heart failure. This study examined age and sex related differences and the role of hypertension in the profile, health related quality of life, and clinical outcomes in African adults with heart failure. Design and method: A cross sectional study conducted at the outpatient cardiology clinics of Jos University Teaching Hospital. Two hundred adults with stable heart failure were enrolled using a simple random method. Relevant history, functional class, Charlson comorbidity index were obtained. Physical examination which included electrocardiography, echocardiography, 6 minutes walk distance were done using standard guidelines. Health related quality of life was assessed using the Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire and graded as good, moderate or poor. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Simple descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression to determine predictors of moderate and poor quality of life were done. Results: The participants comprised of 104 females and 96 males. More males belonged to higher social class, 21% of the males had health insurance compared to 17% of the females. 48% of the males had atrial fibrillation compared to 33% of the females. About 50% of the participants have heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, there was significant difference in heart failure aetiology below 45 years versus above 45 years in both sexes. The burden of comorbidities was significantly higher in the males and those above 45 years old. There were differences in the individual domain scores of MLHF scores across age groups and sex, the males have a statistically significant poorer quality of life similarly for above 45 year old compared to below 45 year old. The females had higher numbers of hospital admission within the past 12 months and higher hospitalization frequency. functional class 3 or more, 6MWT below 300metres, ejection fraction above 50% and above 6 classes of medication emerged as predictors of moderate/poor MLHF scores in both males and females. Conclusion: This study found significant age and sex-related differences in clinical profile, HRQOL, and clinical outcomes in African adults with HF. Hypertension was the commonest cause of HF. Improved control of hypertension and periodic health related quality of life assessment in patients with HF are advocated to improve outcomes.

178 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING ANGLE OF HIS ACCENTUATION WITH TOUPET FUNDOPLICATION IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING LAPAROSCOPIC HELLERS MYOTOMY: INTERIM RESULTS

Abstract Laparoscopic Heller’s Cardiomyotomy (LHCM) is the surgical treatment of choice for achalasia. Addition of an antireflux procedure is recommended to reduce the postoperative reflux. However, there is no consensus regarding the ideal antireflux procedure. In an earlier study we have shown that Angle of His accentuation (AOH) is similar to Dor fundoplication. In this study we present the interim results of an RCT comparing AOH with Toupet fundoplication as an adjunct to LHCM. Methods Patients of Achalasia cardia presenting after October 2017 were randomised to receive either AOH or Toupet following Heller cardiomyotomy based on computer generated random sequence. Primary outcome was incidence of post-operative symptomatic reflux and esophagitis on endoscopy. Secondary outcome was relief of dysphagia and Achalasia specific health related Quality of life assessment (ASHRQoL). Symptom scores for dysphagia, regurgitation and heartburn as well as ASHRQoL were noted pre operatively and at 3 monthly intervals. Objective evaluation was done using timed barium swallow, Upper GI endoscopy and oesophageal manometry. Data was recorded on excel spreadsheet and analysis done using SPSS v5. Results A total of 52 patients (25 Toupet, 27 AOH) were included in the analysis. All patients were successfully operated laparoscopically with no conversions, intraoperative perforations or perioperative mortality. The mean operative duration was 128 min in the AOH group and 146 min in the Toupet group (p < 0.05). There was significant improvement in symptom scores as well as objective parameters in both groups with no difference between the 2 groups at a mean follow-up of 6 months (5-9 months; Table 1). 3 patients in AOH group (11%) and 4(16%) patients had new onset reflux with esophagitis in 2 patients in each group. Conclusion AOH is technically easier and can be performed in a shorter time. The symptom relief is similar in both groups with similar incidence of heartburn and esophagitis in the short term. A longer follow up is recommended in a larger number of patients.

Assessment of oral health-related quality of life among head-and-neck cancer patients attending cancer care center at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu – A cross-sectional study

Objectives: Oral health is closely related to general health and people’s quality of life (QoL), through affecting their oral functions and social interactions. This study aims to assess the oral health-related QoL among head-and-neck cancer (HNC) patients attending cancer care center at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among 340 HNC patients between August and October 2019 attending Government Arignar Anna Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in Kanchipuram District of Tamil Nadu. The questionnaire has two parts. The 1st part consists of demographic characteristics and cancer-related details. The 2nd part was the European Organization of Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL in HNC patients (EORTC QLQ H&N-35) questionnaire. Results: Among 340 patients, 72.4% were male and 27.6% were female. The majority of them had Stage II cancer. The main factors affecting oral health related QoL (OHRQoL) were taking painkillers, loss of sexual interest, difficulty in social contact, teeth problems, loss of taste, and smell senses. Significant association found between pain (P = 0.000), sense (P = 0.003), speech (P = 0.000), social eating (P = 0.016), social contact (P = 0.005), teeth problems (P = 0.031), dry mouth (P = 0.000), sticky saliva (P = 0.000), cough (0.002), feeling ill (P = 0.003), nutritional supplement (P = 0.042), and lost weight (P = 0.034) with respect to various treatment modalities. Based on the OHRQoL scores, those who were treated surgically alone had better QoL than others. Conclusion: We found that surgically treated HNC patients had better OHRQoL than others. Thus, Oral-Health related Quality of Life assessment can be used to analyse the outcome of treatment, patient satisfaction and their sense of self. We need to build a broader care protocol which satisfies/improves the demands arising from the patients.

Assessing health-related quality of life in heart failure patients attending an outpatient clinic: a pragmatic approach.

AimsImproving quality of life (QoL) in heart failure patients is a key management objective. Validated health‐related QoL (HR‐QoL) measurement tools have been incorporated into clinical trials but not routinely into daily practice. The aims of this study were to investigate the acceptability and feasibility of implementing validated HR‐QoL instruments into heart failure clinics and to examine the impact of patient characteristics on HR‐QoL.Methods and resultsOne hundred and sixty‐three patients attending heart failure clinics at a UK tertiary centre were invited to complete three HR‐QoL assessments: the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ); the EuroQoL 5D‐3L (EQ‐5D‐3L); and the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) in that order. Data on patient demographics, co‐morbidities, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, plasma B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP), renal function, and left ventricular ejection fraction were recorded. 94% of patients attending clinic were willing to participate. The EQ‐5D‐3L had all questions answered by 92% of patients, compared with 86% and 51% for the MLHFQ and KCCQ, respectively. HR‐QoL significantly correlated with NYHA class using each tool (MLHFQ, r = 0.59; KCCQ, r = −0.61; EQ‐5D‐3L, r = −0.44, all P < 0.01). However, within each NYHA class, there was a widespread of HR‐QoL scores. There was no association between patient demographics, left ventricular ejection fraction, plasma B‐type natriuretic peptide, or renal function with HR‐QoL using any tool.ConclusionsHealth‐related QoL assessment by validated questionnaire was acceptable to patients and feasible to perform in routine practice. Although NYHA class correlated significantly with HR‐QoL scores, there was high variability in HR‐QoL within each NYHA class, highlighting its limitation as the sole assessment of HR‐QoL. Clinicians should encourage the assessment of HR‐QoL to facilitate patient‐centred care and make more specific use of HR‐QoL measurement tools.

The effect of prosthetic rehabilitation and simple dietary counseling on food intake and oral health related quality of life among the edentulous individuals: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectiveTo investigate the combined effect of complete denture renewal and simple dietary advice. MethodsA randomized controlled trial was performed with edentulous patients who required new complete dentures. All participants received complete denture treatment. In addition, the intervention group received dietary advice in a pamphlet form, while the control group received advice pertaining to the care and maintenance of the dentures. The advice was given by dentists for each group. The participants’ food intake was assessed at baseline and 3 months after intervention using a diet history questionnaire and an oral health related quality of life assessment measured using the Japanese version of the Oral Health Impact Profile for edentulous people (OHIP-EDENT-J). ResultsAmong 70 participants who were randomized, 62 participants finished all parts of this trial. At baseline, there was no significant difference in the food intake between the two groups. At the 3-month assessment, the intervention group showed significantly greater intake of chicken (P=0.013), fish with bones (P=0.012), and carrots and pumpkins (P=0.025) compared to the control group. However, at baseline and at the 3-month assessment, there was no significant difference in the OHIP-EDENT-J scores between the groups, but the OHIP-EDENT-J scores significantly improved for both groups at the 3-month assessment. There were more significant improved dimensions of OHIP-EDENT-J in the intervention group than in the control group at the 3-month assessment. ConclusionsSimple dietary advice combined with complete denture treatment could improve food intake of edentulous patients. Clinical SignificanceThe present study suggests that brief dietary advice provided by dentists can improve food intake of edentulous elderly. This simply diet advice is much easier compared to customized forms, might enable normal dentists provide patients it. The result of this study broadens possibility of nutritional counseling in daily clinical practice.

Health related quality of life assessment in acute coronary syndrome patients: the effectiveness of early phase I cardiac rehabilitation

BackgroundAcute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) is one of the most burdensome cardiovascular diseases in terms of the cost of interventions. The Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme (CRP) is well-established in improving clinical outcomes but the assessment of actual clinical improvement is challenging, especially when considering pharmaceutical care (PC) values in phase I CRP during admission and upon discharge from hospital and phase II outpatient interventions. This study explores the impact of pharmacists’ interventions in the early stages of CRP on humanistic outcomes and follow-up at a referral hospital in Malaysia.MethodsWe recruited 112 patients who were newly diagnosed with ACS and treated at the referral hospital, Sarawak General Hospital, Malaysia. In the intervention group (modified CRP), all medication was reviewed by the clinical pharmacists, focusing on drug indication; understanding of secondary prevention therapy and adherence to treatment strategy. We compared the “pre-post” quality of life (QoL) of three groups (intervention, conventional and control) at baseline, 6 months and 12 months post-discharge with Malaysian norms. QoL data was obtained using a validated version of Short-Form 36 Questionnaire (SF-36). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measure tests was used to compare the mean differences of scores over time.ResultsA pre-post quasi-experimental non-equivalent group comparison design was applied to 112 patients who were followed up for one year. At baseline, the physical and mental health summaries reported poor outcomes in all three groups. However, these improved gradually but significantly over time. After the 6-month follow-up, the physical component summary reported in the modified CRP (MCRP) participants was higher, with a mean difference of 8.02 (p = 0.015) but worse in the mental component summary, with a mean difference of −4.13. At the 12-month follow-up, the MCRP participants performed better in their physical component (PCS) than those in the CCRP and control groups, with a mean difference of 11.46 (p = 0.008), 10.96 (p = 0.002) and 6.41 (p = 0.006) respectively. Comparing the changes over time for minimal important differences (MICD), the MCRP group showed better social functioning than the CCRP and control groups with mean differences of 20.53 (p = 0.03), 14.47 and 8.8, respectively. In role emotional subscales all three groups showed significant improvement in MCID with mean differences of 30.96 (p = 0.048), 31.58 (p = 0.022) and 37.04 (p < 0.001) respectively.ConclusionOur results showed that pharmaceutical care intervention significantly improved HRQoL. The study also highlights the importance of early rehabilitation in the hospital setting. The MCRP group consistently showed better QoL, was more highly motivated and benefitted most from the CRP.Trial registrationMedical Research and Ethics Committee (MREC) Ministry of Health Malaysia, November 2007, NMRR-08-246-1401.

Applying Children's Quality of Life Assessment to Promote the Reliability of Children Dental Health Services Quality

ABSTRACT Objective Dental health services as a service provider need to evaluate and promote their service quality. The assessment of oral health related quality of life can be valuable material for the planning and evaluation of dental health services. Oral health related quality of life assessment apply the socio-dental indicators aspects and provide information in regard to the impact of oral conditions on the quality of life. One of patient's service quality assessment main aspect is reliability of dental treatment. Reliability of dental treatment is not only focused on dental pathological problems solving, but also on patient's quality of life improvement. This study examined the application of children's quality of life assessment as a decision planning basis to promote reliability aspects in children dental health services quality. Material &amp; Method This study can be considered as an observational analytic research using cross-sectional study design. This research was conducted in Wates Mojokerto Community Dental Health Service in the early 2015. The population in this research involved children aged 3-5 years who had dental caries and also were students in kindergarten and early childhood program in Wates Mojokerto Community Dental Health Service as well as their mothers. Thus, the total of the population in this research was 309 children and their mothers. The instrument used in this study was measurement instrument of children's oral health related quality of life, which had been tested for their validity and reliability. Results That the number of dental caries had a considerable effect on the children's quality of life aged 3-5 years. Children who become fussy or anxious had the highest frequency of insidence than other impacts. There were significant differences of the number of dental caries among of the insidence of quality of life impacts. Conclusion The results described that fussy or anxious condition of children was the priority factor for parents in assessing the reliability aspects of dental health services quality in Wates Mojokerto Community Dental Health Service. This information becomes valuable input for Wates Mojokerto Community Dental Health Service in planning effective and reliable dental treatment procedures for children.

OC-0320: Pre-radiotherapy health related quality of life assessment associates with survival in lung cancer patients

OC-0320: Pre-radiotherapy health related quality of life assessment associates with survival in lung cancer patients

Quality of life assessment: A comparative study between haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis

Background: End stage renal disease (ESRD) is a major problem in Sudan. However, little has been published about health related Quality of Life Assessment (QOL) for patients undergoing Renal Replacement Therapy (RRT). Objective: To compare the quality of life for Sudanese patients undergoing haemodialysis (HD) with those undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) using EuroQOL five dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire. Additionally, to evaluate the effect of dialysis period and socioeconomic status on QOL of the patients under study. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. It was conducted in 340 patients undergoing HD and 30 patients undergoing PD were included in the study. The patients were recruited from eight dialysis centres. EQ-5D questionnaire dimensions and visual analogue scale (VAS) were compared between HD and PD patients. Moreover, a comparison was also made between patients on short- and long-term dialysis, and between patients on different socioeconomic classes. Then, the data was analysed using Chi-square test. Results: HD and PD patients were similar for demographic data. Out of the five EQ-5D questionnaire dimensions studied, only two dimensions (pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression) showed significant differences between patients undergoing HD and PD. On the other hand, patients on HD who were on short-term dialysis, and those who were classified as poor socioeconomic class reported more problems in usual activity dimension. Whereas there were no effects of dialysis period and socioeconomic status on PD group. Conclusion: HD patients were found to suffer more from pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression than PD group. Dialysis period and socioeconomic classification had affected only usual activity dimension of HD group.

The impact of tinnitus on adult Nigerians: health related Quality of Life assessment of sufferers using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the RAND-36 item health survey 1.0 questionnaire.

Tinnitus is a distressing ailment with limited options for therapy and affecting the quality of life of sufferers. This study aims to investigate the impact of tinnitus on the health related quality of life, the psychological and emotional wellbeing of patients in our environment. Consecutive patients with tinnitus presenting to the Otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic of the Jos University Teaching Hospital and The Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, Jos were assessed and administered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the RAND-36 item health survey 1.0 questionnaires. We studied 49 patients, age range 22- 79 years (mean = 36.8; median = 35.5; SD = ± 12.7) consisting of 22 (44.9%) males and 27 (55.1%) females, male to female ratio of 1:1.2. Patients in the age range 31 to 40 were in the majority (n = 20; 40.4%). Depressive symptoms were recorded in 14 (28.6%) female patients and 11 (22.4%) male patients. Anxiety symptoms were recorded in 18 (36.7%) female patients and 16 (32.6%) male patients. 34 (69.4%) of our patients scored low on all QoL domains except pain levels irrespective of age or gender with statistically significant positive correlations between all the QoL domains studied for all patients (P-value 0.5). Univariate analysis shows statistically significant inverse correlation between emotional distress (anxiety and depression) scores and each of emotional wellbeing scores. Our study demonstrates high prevalence of tinnitus amongst the younger population in our region especially females with significant reduction in their HRQoL. This should help in raising the awareness of the impact of tinnitus on the QoL, psychological and emotional wellbeing of patients in our region with a view to improving outcome for tinnitus sufferers. We recommend a further study on a larger sample population to determine the socioeconomic impact of tinnitus on the Nigerian population.

Effects of resistance training combined with moderate-intensity endurance or low-volume high-intensity interval exercise on cardiovascular risk factors in patients with coronary artery disease

To determine the effects of resistance training combined with either moderate-intensity endurance or low-volume high-intensity interval training on cardiovascular risk profiles in patients with coronary artery disease. Factorial repeated-measures study design. Nineteen patients were randomized into moderate-intensity endurance (n = 10) or high-intensity interval (n = 9) groups, and attended 2 supervised exercise sessions a week for 6-months. The first 3-months involved exclusive moderate-intensity endurance or high-intensity interval exercise, after which progressive resistance training was added to both groups for the remaining 3-months. Fitness (VO(2)peak), blood pressure and heart rate, lipid profiles and health related quality of life assessments were performed at pretraining, 3 and 6-months training. VO(2)peak increased from pretraining to 3-months in both groups (moderate-intensity endurance: 19.8 ± 7.3 vs. 23.2 ± 7.4 ml kg(-1)min(-1); high-intensity interval: 21.1 ± 3.3 vs. 26.4 ± 5.2 ml kg(-1)min(-1), p<0.001) with no further increase at 6-months. Self-evaluated health and high-density lipoprotein were increased following 6-months of moderate-intensity endurance exercise, while all remaining indices were unchanged. Low-volume high-intensity interval exercise did not elicit improvements in lipids or health related quality of life. Blood pressures and heart rates were unchanged with training in both groups. Findings from our pilot study suggest improvements in fitness occur within the first few months of training in patients with coronary artery disease, after which the addition of resistance training to moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity interval exercise elicited no further improvements. Given the importance of resistance training in cardiac rehabilitation, additional research is required to determine its effectiveness when combined with high-intensity interval exercise.

Health related quality of life assessment amongst people with cystic fibrosis in Belgium

Introduction Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an inherited life-threatening disease with an incidence of about 1 in 2850 persons in Belgium. CF is progressive and the question is whether the gains in improved survival are being translated into quality life years for People With Cystic Fibrosis (PWCF). The aim of this study was to measure the quality of life of PWCF in Belgium. Methods This was a cross-sectional study in which PWCF who visited a Belgian CF center in early 2007 were eligible. Four age …

A preliminary study of a health related quality of life assessment of priority symptoms in advanced lymphoma: the National Comprehensive Cancer Network-Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Lymphoma Symptom Index

Despite the recent advances in cancer therapeutics for lymphoma (Lym), a continuum of disease, treatment and psychological challenges, adversely impacting health-related quality of life, remain for the clinical management of the patient with Lym. In response, this study presents the development and validation of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network-Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (NCCN-FACT) Lymphoma Symptom Index-18 (FLymSI-18). Patients with advanced Lym (n = 50) rated the significance of 40 symptoms, and hematologist–oncologists (n = 10) rated these symptoms according to importance and disease-related or treatment-related origin. Patient symptom priorities were unified with clinician priorities for symptom measurement in Lym for instrument development. Reliability estimates indicate that FLymSI-18 has acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.87), content validity and concurrent validity as indicated by moderate to strong correlations with the FACIT (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy). Overall, the FLymSI-18 provides evidence for its reliability and validity as a brief assessment of the most important symptoms associated with advanced Lym in the clinical trial research environment.

Health related quality of life assessment in Pakistani paediatric cancer patients using PedsQL™ 4.0 generic core scale and PedsQL™ cancer module.

BackgroundThe purpose of the study was to evaluate and compare the HRQOL of paediatric cancer in comparison to the healthy children across age groups, using PedsQLTM 4.0 Generic Core Scales and the PedsQL™ Cancer Module.MethodThe PedsQLTM 4.0 Generic Core Scales and PedsQL Cancer Module 3.0 were administered on 56 children including 26 cancer patients and 30 healthy children while employing self and proxy report forms. Furthermore, the results were compared with their healthy comparison group.ResultsThe results indicated a significant relationship between HRQOL reports of cancer patients and their parents. However, the mean of paediatric cancer patients is significantly lower as compare to their healthy comparison group. The mean of proxy report is lower overall on both PedsQL and PedsQL cancer module reports.ConclusionConclusively, overall HRQOL of cancer patients was lower than healthy children but it is quite similar to their parents’ perception. Whereas, the parental mean on PedsQL and PedsQL 3.0 Cancer Module are significantly low. The study indicated a marked difference between cancer patients and healthy children’s HRQOL perception and unfortunately in country like Pakistan where cancer is on increase, no significant work has yet been done to explore this area of research. The present study highlighted the need to focus on the particular psychological health services required to serve the physically challenged population.

Health Related Quality of Life in Common Variable Immunodeficiency

PurposeTo quantify the health related quality of life in primary immunodeficiency patients.Materials and MethodsWe used generic health status and general psychological health questionnaires to determine the range of issues that needed to be considered in examining the burden of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).ResultsThe health status of patients with CVID was lower than that observed in normal subjects. Overall, Role-Physical and General Health scales correlated with a poorer clinical status. Surprisingly, the duration of disease did not influence health status. Being female, older, General Health Questionnaire-positive and alexithymic proved to be major risk factors associated with a poor health status. Patients with chronic lung disease and chronic diarrhea had the lowest values on the Medical Outcome Study, Short Form SF-36 (SF-36) scales. Disease severity perception was associated with the General Health Questionnaire and alexithymia status. Limitations in daily activities as a result of lower physical health were the major problems facing common variable immunodeficiency patients.ConclusionOur data underlined the importance of conducting a periodical health related quality of life assessment on patients with primary antibody deficiencies and, moreover, stressed the necessity of providing psychological support to at risk patients.

Quality of Life of Patients With Cancer of the Oesophagus and Stomach

The study of the health related quality of life in patients with digestive tract cancer, and particularly in those with tumours of the oesophagus and stomach, provides useful information for selecting the most suitable therapeutic option. It may also be used to predict the impact of the disease and its possible treatments on the physical, emotional and social condition of the patient.Various sensitive and reliable tools have been developed over the past decades that are capable of measuring the quality of life of patients; the use of questionnaires has made it easier to exchange information between the patient and the doctor. The pre- and post-operative variations in the quality of life in patients with oesophageal–gastric cancer are of prognostic value on the outcome of the disease.For all these reasons, the health related quality of life is currently considered, along with disease free survival and absence of recurrences, one of the most important parameters in order to assess the impact on the patients of a particular oncological treatment.The aim of this article is to review the role of the health related quality of life assessment, as well as the various tools which are available to measure it in patients with oesophageal–gastric cancer.

Calidad de vida en pacientes con cáncer de esófago y de estómago

The study of the health related quality of life in patients with digestive tract cancer, and particularly in those with tumours of the oesophagus and stomach, provides useful information for selecting the most suitable therapeutic option. It may also be used to predict the impact of the disease and its possible treatments on the physical, emotional and social condition of the patient. Various sensitive and reliable tools have been developed over the past decades that are capable of measuring the quality of life of patients; the use of questionnaires has made it easier to exchange information between the patient and the doctor. The pre- and post-operative variations in the quality of life in patients with oesophageal-gastric cancer are of prognostic value on the outcome of the disease. For all these reasons, the health related quality of life is currently considered, along with disease free survival and absence of recurrences, one of the most important parameters in order to assess the impact on the patients of a particular oncological treatment. The aim of this article is to review the role of the health related quality of life assessment, as well as the various tools which are available to measure it in patients with oesophageal-gastric cancer.