Instruments for assessing quality of life in palliative care settings

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Health Outcomes Research
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Quality of life (QoL) is a critical outcome in palliative care.
• Accurate measurement of QoL requires validated and reliable instruments.
• Existing QoL measures may not be suitable for the specific needs of palliative care populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and describe quality of life (QoL) measures appropriate for palliative care settings.
• To outline essential characteristics for QoL instruments used in palliative care.
• To evaluate the suitability of selected QoL measures for palliative care populations.

Main Methods:

• Literature review to identify relevant QoL instruments.
• Analysis of instruments based on predefined criteria: multidimensionality, self-report, setting utility, validity, and reliability.
• Description of five selected QoL scales and their measured dimensions.

Main Results:

• Five QoL scales were identified and described.
• The scales measure diverse aspects of QoL, including physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and functional domains.
• All reviewed instruments, except one, are self-report, and all demonstrate validity and reliability for palliative care use.

Conclusions:

• Several multidimensional, self-report QoL measures are available and validated for palliative care.
• These instruments assess key aspects of patient experience, supporting comprehensive QoL assessment.
• The identified measures are suitable for use in palliative care settings to evaluate patient outcomes.