Quality of Life Measurements in Patients with Malignant Disease: A Review

Can the Spitzer Quality of Life Index help to reduce prognostic uncertainty in terminal care?

“…The QL Index is already regarded as a valuable summary measure of quality of life in cancer patients (Clark & Fallowfield, 1986). The results presented here suggest that it may also be of some use in reducing prognostic uncertainty in terminal care.…”

“…There has been interest in using performance status and quality of life measures to aid prognosis. The Karnofsky Index, which is often used by clinicians to assess performance status (Clark & Fallowfield, 1986), has been shown to have a weak but positive relationship with the length of life remaining (Evans & McCarthy, 1985;Mor et al, 1984;Yates et al, 1980). However, the Index has been criticised because it is rated by clinicians, rather than patients, and large discrepancies have been reported between assessments made by clinicians and patient assessments of quality of life (Padilla et al, 1983).…”

“…However, the Index has been criticised because it is rated by clinicians, rather than patients, and large discrepancies have been reported between assessments made by clinicians and patient assessments of quality of life (Padilla et al, 1983). In addition, low reliability coefficients have been reported (Yates et al, 1980 (Clark & Fallowfield, 1986). It differs from performance status measures in that it also measures aspects of quality of life such as social support and outlook, although scores on it have been shown to be determined mainly by aspects of performance status, such as ability to perform activities of daily living, activity levels and health (Slevin et al, 1988;Mor, 1987).…”

A method for assessing the quality of life of cancer patients: replication of the factor structure

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(Clark & Fallowfield, 1986; Knippenberg, 1985;Fayers & Jones, 1983; Holland, 1984;McDowell & Newell, 1987;Selby & Robertson, 1987;Ventafridda et al, 1986;Walker & Rosser, 1988;Tchekmedyian & Cella, 1990).We earlier reported the development of a method for assessing the quality of life of breast cancer patients based on self assessment by multiple linear analogue scales (Selby et al, 1984

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Identifying priorities of psychosocial need in cancer patients

“…Yet the inclusion of QOL measures in major clinical trials is still rare, in considerable part, due to the lack of valid, reliable and practical measures (Clark & Fallowfield, 1986). The definition and measurement of QOL are fraught with philosophical and methodological difficulties which are yet to be resolved (Aaronson et al, 1988).…”