Health Qual Life Out
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Health Qual Life Out · Nov 2005
Comparative StudyComparative assessment of three different indices of multimorbidity for studies on health-related quality of life.
Measures of multimorbidity are often applied to source data, populations or outcomes outside the scope of their original developmental work. As the development of a multimorbidity measure is influenced by the population and outcome used, these influences should be taken into account when selecting a multimorbidity index. The aim of this study was to compare the strength of the association of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) with three multimorbidity indices: the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS), the Charlson index (Charlson) and the Functional Comorbidity Index (FCI). The first two indices were not developed in light of HRQOL. ⋯ The CIRS is a better choice as a measure of multimorbidity than the FCI and the Charlson when HRQOL is the outcome of interest. However, the FCI may provide a good option to evaluate the physical aspect of HRQOL for the ease in its administration and scoring. The Charlson index may not be recommended as a measure of multimorbidity in studies related to either physical or mental aspects of HRQOL.
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Health Qual Life Out · Nov 2005
Cross-cultural validation and analysis of responsiveness of the QUALIOST: QUAlity of Life questionnaire In OSTeoporosis.
The QUALIOST was designed for use with the SF-36 to measure established osteoporosis-specific quality of life (QoL). The reliability (internal consistency and test-retest) and validity of the questionnaire were established in a stand-alone psychometric validation study. The objective of this paper is to provide additional information on the instrument's responsiveness using clinical trial data, along with the reliability and validity of translated versions. ⋯ The QUALIOST is a reliable and valid tool for measuring QoL in postmenopausal osteoporotic women. Being available in several validated language versions, it is ready to be used in a variety of settings, including international clinical trials.
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Health Qual Life Out · Jul 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyWomen's quality of life is decreased by acute cystitis and antibiotic adverse effects associated with treatment.
Although acute cystitis is a common infection in women, the impact of this infection and its treatment on women's quality of life (QOL) has not been previously described. ⋯ Patients experiencing cystitis have an increase in their QOL with treatment. Those experiencing clinical cure have greater improvement in QOL compared to patients fail therapy. While QOL is improved by treatment, those reporting adverse events have lower overall QOL compared to those who do not experience adverse events. This study is important in that it suggests that both cystitis and antibiotic treatment can affect QOL in a measurable way.
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Health Qual Life Out · Apr 2005
Measurement properties of the UK-English version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQL) generic core scales.
Health related quality of life (HRQL) has been recognised as an important paediatric outcome measurement. One of the more promising measures to emerge in recent years is the Pediatric Quality Of Life Inventory (PedsQL), developed in the US. Advantages of the PedsQL include brevity, availability of age appropriate versions and parallel forms for child and parent. This study developed a UK-English version of PedsQL generic module and assessed its performance in a group of UK children and their parents. ⋯ The UK-English version of PedsQL performed as well as the original PedsQL and is recommended for assessment of paediatric HRQL in the UK.
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Health Qual Life Out · Mar 2005
Subjective impact of osteoarthritis flare-ups on patients' quality of life.
Clinical trials on osteoarthritis (OA) flare-ups treatment usually focus only on objective measures of health status, albeit recent literature suggestions on the importance of patients' subjectivity. Aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of OA and of its different types of medical treatment(s) on Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in terms of both subjective satisfaction and functional status. ⋯ Besides the classic health status measures, the assessment of patients' subjective satisfaction provides important clues on treatments efficacy of OA within the patient-centered medicine model. In clinical practice this could lead to a better doctor-patient communication and to higher levels of treatment adherence.