Biomaterial Database

Measuring quality of life: methodological issues. 1999

M Dijkers

Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan and the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Wayne State University, Detroit 48201, USA.

Quality of life is a term used in a number of disciplines, and definitions and conceptualizations vary from utility of health states to life satisfaction and from possession of socially desirable characteristics to positive affect. This article offers a taxonomy of measures of quality of life based on measurement characteristics, which are shown to closely parallel definitions and their underlying assumptions. The fact that basic philosophical issues and ethical assumptions underlie quality of life measurement is stressed. Clinimetric characteristics of quality of life measures (validity, reliability, responsiveness, sensitivity, practicality, face validity, interpretability) are reviewed. This article concludes with a discussion of a number of additional methodological issues, including the following: measurement of change in the quality of life; generic v disease-specific measures; the use of self-reports by persons with mental health or cognitive-communicative problems; and the use of proxy reporters of quality of life.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008603	Mental Health	Emotional, psychological, and social well-being of an individual or group.	Mental Hygiene,Health, Mental,Hygiene, Mental
D010686	Philosophy, Medical	The underlying rationale or theoretical basis for the principles of MEDICINE.	Medical Philosophy
D010810	Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine	A medical specialty concerned with the use of physical agents, mechanical apparatus, and manipulation in rehabilitating physically diseased or injured patients.	Physiatry,Physical Medicine,Medicine, Physical,Physiatrics,Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
D011594	Psychometrics	Assessment of psychological variables by the application of mathematical procedures.	Psychometric
D011788	Quality of Life	A generic concept reflecting concern with the modification and enhancement of life attributes, e.g., physical, political, moral, social environment as well as health and disease.	HRQOL,Health-Related Quality Of Life,Life Quality,Health Related Quality Of Life
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D012046	Rehabilitation	Restoration of human functions to the maximum degree possible in a person or persons suffering from disease or injury.	Habilitation
D003071	Cognition	Intellectual or mental process whereby an organism obtains knowledge.	Cognitive Function,Cognitions,Cognitive Functions,Function, Cognitive,Functions, Cognitive
D003142	Communication	The exchange or transmission of ideas, attitudes, or beliefs between individuals or groups.	Miscommunication,Misinformation,Social Communication,Communication Programs,Communications Personnel,Personal Communication,Communication Program,Communication, Personal,Communication, Social,Communications, Social,Miscommunications,Misinformations,Personnel, Communications,Program, Communication,Programs, Communication,Social Communications
D004992	Ethics, Medical	The principles of professional conduct concerning the rights and duties of the physician, relations with patients and fellow practitioners, as well as actions of the physician in patient care and interpersonal relations with patient families.	Medical Ethics

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