Medical Writing Patient-reported outcomes Quality of life measures – an overview

Volume 27, Issue 4 - Patient-reported outcomes

Quality of life measures – an overview

Abstract

HR-QoL measurements attempt to turn subjective information into objective information. In this article, I describe the different kinds of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures, how they work, and how they can be interpreted. Main types of HRQoL measures include generic; disease- or population-specific; dimension-specific;individualised; and preference-based. Each serves different purpose and should be applied to different populations. For example, generic measures can be used in general populations and across various diseases, whereas disease-specific ones address specific diseased populations. I also discuss key considerations for using and presenting HR-QoL measures, including ensuring that a validated and legally obtained measure is administered; describing the type and specifics of the HR-QoL measure; and explaining how the measure was used, how
scores were computed, and how to interpret them.

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