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What is health-related quality of life?

Dr. Oleske asks physicians to consider "What is health-related quality of life?" He said it recognizes the multi-dimensional nature of health and brings together physical, psychological and social domains that influence health status. It reflects a transition from measuring mortality to understanding morbidity, but there is no one accepted definition. Quality of life domains include:

  • Social
  • Psychological
  • Physical (including general health)
  • Disease symptoms

Special issues in assessing quality of life in children include the following

  • Changing developmental level
  • Adjusting for age
  • Sensitivity to changes in health status
  • Use of proxy respondents (e.g. parent or other family member speaking for the child)
  • Asking the child directly
  • Comparison with normal population (scientific studies of "normal" are rare)

Why is assessing quality of life important?

  • It provides descriptive information about health status
  • It helps identify individuals with differing morbidity levels
  • It offers patient and family perspectives on the impact of the illness and treatments

When multiple treatment regimens are available, quality of life assessment may be a factor in treatment choice. Understanding the relationships among disease, symptoms, treatments, and social factors is critical to providing optimum care.

Dr. Oleske closed his talk with a quote from Aesop: "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."