[Change in the quality of life as an indicator of the clinical course of disease. Comparison of 2 indices].
Quality of life is an important outcome measurement to judge disease impact and response to treatment; however it is very difficult to measure. We compared the MacKenzie's Change in Maximal Function Index (CMFI) with the Change in Quality of Life Index (CQLI) developed by our group. Both indices were applied on admission and upon discharge of 23 medical and surgical inpatients. The CQLI's interobserver reliability was somewhat better (Ri = 0.69) than that of the CMFI (Kw = 0.49). Both indices correlated with patient, close relative and physician assessments (rs = 0.52 to 0.86, p < 0.05). There was no correlation with Karnofsky scores. Both showed adequate responsiveness with Guyatt's coefficients between 2 and 4. Ninety five percent of the patients thought the questionnaires were easy to answer and approximately 5 minutes were enough to complete them. Both indices seem to perform better when applied by a social worker than when applied by a physician. Our results suggest that it is feasible to obtain consistent estimates of changes in quality of life. Either one of these indices may be used to assess the impact of medical intervention.
Guzmán
J
J
División de Medicina, Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México, D.F.
Ponce de León
S
S
Pita Ramírez
L
L
Castillo Rentería
C
C
Pérez Pimentel
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
El cambio en la calidad de vida como indicador de curso clínico de la enfermedad. Comparación de dos índices.