Quality of life scales for patients with cancer: how often to administer?
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R D Carey1, D J Perez, A V Campbell
1Department of Medicine, Otago Medical School, Dunedin.
Aims:
To determine the optimum frequency of quality of life assessment in patients with cancer.
Methods:
The Spitzer unidimensional overall quality of life scale was administered to 41 patients with cancer comparing a monthly assessment with averaged weekly assessments (group 1) and two monthly assessment with averaged weekly assessments (group 2).
Results:
Monthly and two monthly measures reflected the averaged weekly scores well although some patients reported difficulty recalling quality of life over the two month period. However patients generally preferred the weekly assessments.
Conclusion:
For longitudinal study of quality of life in patients with cancer weekly assessment is optimal. If weekly assessment is practically difficult monthly or two monthly measurements give a good reflection of averaged weekly scores but patients are more comfortable with monthly rather than two monthly measurements.