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Quality of life: concepts and definition
1Rush Cancer Institute, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612.
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
|April 1, 1994
Summary
Supportive care, now termed quality of life research, emphasizes patient well-being. This research measures subjective, multidimensional aspects of health, including physical, emotional, and social functioning.
Area of Science:
- Medical research
- Patient-centered care
- Health outcomes
Background:
- Supportive care is gaining recognition for its crucial role in medicine.
- There's a growing emphasis on patient functioning and well-being as primary medical goals.
- Quality of life research has evolved over two decades to formalize this focus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of patient well-being and functioning in medical care.
- To define and explore the concept of quality of life research.
- To establish a framework for measuring patient-centered outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Defining quality of life as subjective and multidimensional.
- Advocating for patient perspective in measurement.
- Identifying key domains for assessment: physical, functional, emotional, and social well-being.
Main Results:
- Quality of life is best understood from the individual patient's viewpoint.
- Comprehensive assessment requires evaluating multiple life domains.
- Symptom management can be broadened to include cost-benefit analyses related to patient-perceived function.
Conclusions:
- Optimal patient functioning and well-being are paramount in medical care.
- Quality of life research provides a vital framework for patient-centered evaluation.
- Further investigation is needed into the interplay between symptom burden and overall quality of life.
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