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Quality of life measures
A J Carr1, P W Thompson, J R Kirwan
1Health Care Evaluation Unit, Department of Social Medicine, Bristol University, UK.
British Journal of Rheumatology
|March 1, 1996
Summary
Quality of life measures are widely used but lack a clear definition. This review examines common measurement tools and conceptual challenges in assessing quality of life within disease impact models.
Area of Science:
- Health Outcomes Research
- Psychometrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Quality of life (QoL) is increasingly utilized as a key outcome measure in clinical research and healthcare.
- A significant challenge in this field is the absence of a universally agreed-upon definition of QoL.
- This ambiguity complicates the interpretation and comparison of results across different studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the most commonly employed measures for assessing quality of life.
- To discuss the conceptual and measurement challenges inherent in QoL assessment.
- To contextualize QoL within the World Health Organization's (WHO) model of disease impact.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of frequently used quality of life measurement tools.
- Conceptual analysis of definitions and measurement issues related to quality of life.
- Framework analysis to integrate QoL into the WHO's model of disease impact.
Main Results:
- Identification of prevalent QoL instruments and their characteristics.
- Discussion of psychometric properties and conceptual limitations of existing measures.
- Exploration of how QoL relates to different levels of the WHO's disease impact model.
Conclusions:
- Standardizing the definition and measurement of quality of life is crucial for advancing health outcomes research.
- Addressing conceptual and methodological issues will enhance the utility of QoL measures.
- Integrating QoL into established health models like the WHO's provides a valuable framework for understanding disease impact.