Development and validation of a novel idiographic measure of cystectomy patients' goals and concerns before surgery

Evaluation of: Morganstern BM, Bochner B, Dalbagni G, Shabsigh A, Rapkin B. The psychological context of quality of life: a psychometric analysis of a novel idiographic measure of bladder cancer patients' personal goals and concerns prior to surgery. Health Qual. Life Outcomes 9:10 (2011). Morganstern et al. presented a brief quality-of-life appraisal profile (BQOLAP) to measure the unique quality-of-life concerns and issues of preoperative bladder cancer patients, setting the stage for future studies that would compare quality of life outcomes following reconstructive cystectomy surgery. Results from 50 patients with bladder cancer revealed 503 goal statements that were coded and developed into 40 content categories based on several overarching domains: motivational themes; health and treatment; functioning; mental health and perceptions; comfort and lifestyle; events; responsibilities; relationship and family; home and community; problems and conflicts; and other/nonanswer. Drawing from measures developed by Rapkin and colleagues, the BQOLAP was designed to prompt patients to create their own unique goals and activity statements and their subsequent ratings of goal-attainment activities, difficulty reaching their goals, support needed to reach their goals and self-ratings of how close they were to reaching their goals.