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- Last Updated: 30 August 2017 30 August 2017
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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."