Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026
Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform
Published on: April 12, 2021
Quality of life before and one year following stem cell transplantation using an individualized and a standardized
L Wettergren1, M Sprangers, M Björkholm
1Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. lena.wettergren@ki.se
Objective:
The aim was to prospectively measure quality of life in patients with malignant blood disorders following stem cell transplantation (SCT) using an individualized and a standardized measure.
Methods:
Twenty-two consecutive patients were assessed before and one year following SCT, using a generic and disease-related version of the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life-Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW) and the EORTC QLQ-C30. Results of the QLQ-C30 were compared with Swedish norm values.
Results:
A majority of the patients reported concerns related to health before as well as one year after SCT, recorded by both instruments. Mean scores produced by the SEIQoL-DW, and four scales of the EORTC QLQ-C30, showed a change over time, indicating improved quality of life one year after SCT. In comparison with Swedish norm values for the EORTC QLQ-C30, SCT recipients reported a worse functioning.
Conclusions:
In addition to well-known disease and treatment-related problems, areas not typically included in standardized instruments were nominated in the disease-related SEIQoL-DW. Such areas included positive aspects, e.g. a changed view of life and oneself. The results support the use of the generic and disease-related SEIQoL-DW to achieve a comprehensive picture of patient's clinical situation under treatment or when recovering from illness.
