[Methods and instruments for measuring and evaluating quality of life]

Area of Science:

• Surgical outcomes assessment
• Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measurement
• Psychometrics and social sciences in medicine

Context:

• Assessing surgical outcomes is evolving beyond traditional metrics.
• Quality of life (QoL) measurement presents new methodological challenges.
• Perioperative mortality is increasingly insufficient as a sole indicator of surgical success.

Purpose:

• To highlight the importance and methodological considerations of quality of life measurement in surgery.
• To advocate for the use of validated psychometric instruments in clinical trials.
• To establish QoL as a sensitive criterion for evaluating operational success.

Summary:

• Quality of life measurement is a complex but vital approach for evaluating surgical outcomes.
• It requires a multidisciplinary team employing validated psychometric and social science methods.
• Avoid rapid development of new QoL assessment procedures; prioritize established, validated tests.

Impact:

• Quality of life is emerging as a more sensitive metric than perioperative mortality for assessing surgical success.
• This approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of patient well-being post-operation.
• Emphasizes the need for rigorous methodology in health outcome research.