Health-related quality of life assessment in clinical practice.
Assessment of biochemical responses to therapy is routine in the management of patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL), however, is less common. Previous research indicates that HRQOL is a meaningful indicator that should be integrated into clinical practice. HRQOL is longitudinally evaluated in in-centre hemodialysis patients using the RAND 36-item Health Survey 1.0. Caregivers incorporate scores from this instrument into their assessment of patient functioning and well-being. HRQOL scores can be utilized to evaluate responses to changes in therapy, and to direct clinical decision-making, adding an important dimension to holistic, quality care for ESRD patients.
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D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires