Quality of Life

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Gerard M Odonoghue - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Quality of Life after acoustic neuroma surgery
    Laryngoscope, 1998
    Co-Authors: Thomas P Nikolopoulos, Ian Johnson, Gerard M Odonoghue
    Abstract:

    Objective: To assess how surgery affected the Quality of Life of patients with acoustic neuromas and to investigate possible predictors of the functional outcome following surgery. Study Design: A questionnaire based on the Glasgow Benefit Inventory was completed by patients randomly selected following acoustic neuroma surgery. Setting: Skull base surgery unit of a university teaching hospital (tertiary referral center). Patients : Fifty-three patients with acoustic tumors (follow-up, 1 to 3 y). Results: With regard to overall Quality of Life, nine patients (17.4%) reported that it became better, 28 patients (53.8%) worse, and 15 patients (28.8%) that it remained the same. Four patients (7.8%) became better off financially, 15 patients (29.4%) worse, and 32 (62.8%) remained unchanged. Forty-one patients (78.8%) did not change their occupation, and 11 (21.2%) had to change their occupation, mainly because of the adverse effects of the operation. With regard to the age at operation, older patients were found to have better overall Quality of Life. Moreover, younger patients had worse postoperative financial status and they were more likely to change their occupation after the operation. The tumor size did not significantly affect the overall postoperative Quality, but it did affect the postoperative financial status (patients with larger tumors were more likely to have worse postoperative financial status). Conclusion: Acoustic neuroma surgery has a significant impact on patients' overall Quality of Life. Surgeons proposing to operate on small tumors should not assume that the impact on patients' Life will be necessarily less than that following the removal of larger tumors. All patients, especially in the younger age group, should be prepared and thoroughly informed about the consequences of the operation on their Quality of Life.

David Cella - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Quality of Life and clinical decisions in chemotherapy induced anemia
    Oncology, 2006
    Co-Authors: David Cella
    Abstract:

    Fatigue is common in cancer patients treated with chemotherapy, and it has detrimental effects on their Quality of Life. Chemotherapy-induced anemia, however, is often under-recognized and under-treated. There is a clear association between hemoglobin (Hgb) levels and fatigue, with fatigue being greater in patients with lower Hgb levels. Managing fatigue requires that its causes be determined and corrected, and it is important that patients report their fatigue. Patients, however, are unlikely to mention such adverse events unless they are asked about them. In addition, busy practitioners generally have very little time to discuss anemia-related fatigue with their patients. Many studies have used the validated Quality-of-Life instrument Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue (FACT-F) to assess fatigue and Quality of Life in patients treated with chemotherapy; these studies have shown a relationship between chemotherapy-induced anemia, fatigue, and Quality of Life. Studies of erythropoiesis-stimulating proteins to treat chemotherapy-induced anemia have shown increases in patients' hemoglobin levels, improvement in their FACT-F and FACT-General scores, and improvements in their Quality of Life.

Ann C Lowry - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • fecal incontinence Quality of Life scale Quality of Life instrument for patients with fecal incontinence
    Diseases of The Colon & Rectum, 2000
    Co-Authors: Todd H Rockwood, James M Church, James W Fleshman, Robert L Kane, Constantinos Mavrantonis, Alan G Thorson, Steven D Wexner, Donna Z Bliss, Ann C Lowry
    Abstract:

    PURPOSE: This goal of this research was to develop and evaluate the psychometrics of a health-related Quality of Life scale developed to address issues related specifically to fecal incontinence, the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale. METHODS: The Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale is composed of a total of 29 items; these items form four scales: Lifestyle (10 items), Coping/Behavior (9 items), Depression/Self-Perception (7 items), and Embarrassment (3 items). RESULTS: Psychometric evaluation of these scales demonstrates that they are both reliable and valid. Each of the scales demonstrate stability over time (test/retest reliability) and have acceptable internal reliability (Cronbach alpha >0.70). Validity was assessed using discriminate and convergent techniques. Each of the four scales of the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale was capable of discriminating between patients with fecal incontinence and patients with other gastrointestinal problems. To evaluate convergent validity, the correlation of the scales in the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale with selected subscales in the SF-36 was analyzed. The scales in the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale demonstrated significant correlations with the subscales in the SF-36. CONCLUSIONS: The psychometric evaluation of the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale showed that this fecal incontinence-specific Quality of Life measure produces both reliable and valid measurement.

Tim Porter - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • the effect of erectile dysfunction on Quality of Life psychometric testing of a new Quality of Life measure for patients with erectile dysfunction
    The Journal of Urology, 2002
    Co-Authors: Ruaraidh Macdonagh, Paul Ewings, Tim Porter
    Abstract:

    Purpose: We assessed the psychometric properties of the newly developed Erectile Dysfunction Effect on Quality of Life (ED-EQoL) instrument for quantifying the effect of erectile dysfunction on Quality of Life.Materials and Methods: The questionnaire was assessed in a cohort of 283 men recruited from 11 centers in the United Kingdom. Internal consistency was examined by Cronbach’s α, test-retest reliability was determined by administering the instrument on 2 occasions 2 weeks apart without treatment in the interim, construct validity was assessed by comparison with other Quality of Life measures and responsiveness was evaluated by comparing the change in the ED-EQoL after treatment with change in other measures.Results: The ED-EQoL was simple to complete and captured wide variation in Quality of Life. It demonstrated good internal consistency and reliability, and generally correlated in an expected manner with other Quality of Life measures. Correlation with initial erectile function was relatively low bu...

Wanda Szymanski - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Quality of Life of breast cancer patients with lymphedema
    American Journal of Surgery, 1999
    Co-Authors: Vic Velanovich, Wanda Szymanski
    Abstract:

    Abstract Background: Quality of Life has increasingly become an important issue in breast cancer treatment. One of the impetuses for sentinel lymph node biopsy or selective axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is the assumed decreased incidence of lymphedema compared with standard ALND. This is based on the assumption that ALND is associated with a clinically significant incidence of lymphedema and that this lymphedema decreases the Quality of Life of these patients. However, few data exist on this issue. This study attempts to define the incidence and effect on Quality of Life of postoperative lymphedema in breast cancer patients. Methods: To determine the incidence of postoperative lymphedema, the Breast Cancer Registry at Henry Ford Hospital was accessed to obtain information on all patients who underwent ALND in the management of breast cancer over a 7-year period. The registry is a prospectively gathered data base to include the development of various complications, such as lymphedema. To determine the effects of lymphedema on Quality of Life , 101 consecutive, unselected patients who underwent breast surgery were asked to complete the SF-36, a generic Quality of Life instrument. The SF-36 measures eight domains of Quality of Life. Patients were then divided into three groups: (1) breast surgery without ALND (-ALND), (2) breast surgery with ALND but no lymphedema (-LE), and (3) breast surgery with ALND and lymphedema (+LE). Results: In all, 827 patients with ALND were identified in the registry. of these, 8.3% developed clinically apparent lymphedema. Patients in -ALND and -LE groups had similar scores in all domains of the SF-36. However, patients in the +LE group had significantly lower scores in the domains of role-emotional and bodily pain. A significantly higher percentage of patients in the +LE group had scores below one standard deviation compared with national norms in the domains of bodily pain ( P = 0.005), mental health ( P = 0.01), and general health ( P = 0.04). Conclusions: Although postoperative lymphedema occurs in a minority of patients, when it does occur it can produce demonstrable diminutions in Quality of Life. Therefore, efforts to reduce the incidence of lymphedema, such as sentinel lymph node biopsy or selective ALND, would benefit breast cancer patients.