[Health-related quality of life: Exclusion of subjectivity]

Quality of life is a concept increasingly being used to assess the impact of chronic illnesses and the effectiveness of medical treatment options. The approach in the field of health is usually conducted using self-administered surveys, given the current high cost of instrumentalization of clinical practice. These instruments are useful for health professionals enabling them to analyze the effect of their interventions. Likewise, they are also relevant to public health, as they report on conditions of those with illnesses whose prevalence is increasing. Nevertheless, in this article, it is proposed that the quality of life approach is limited when it is carried out with structured instruments. It particularly reflects on how these instruments lack subjectivity, despite the fact that they are self-administered by patients. The limitations relating to quantification and transversality that arise when evaluating quality of life with these parameters are also analyzed. As an alternative to overcome these shortcomings, the narrative approach is proposed, as it makes it possible to report on changes experienced in subjectivity with the ongoing progress of the illness.