Evaluating quality-of-life measures for clinical trials in Germany

In spite of an increased discussion of psychosocial outcomes of medical treatments, quality-of-life assessments in clinical trials conducted in Germany are rare. Barriers to the development of quality-of-life-related evaluation research include conceptual, methodologic, practical, and political issues. Each issue is characterized by specific problem areas and by current approaches to problem solving; both are affected by crosscultural considerations. This paper analyzes state-of-the-art in quality-of-life research in Germany with regard to four key issues and presents original work in a biometrical center as an example.