Consumer and professional ratings of the importance of functional status components.
As the population ages and chronic disease becomes the more dominant form of illness, measures of functional loss and disability assume greater importance in the assessment of both quality of life and the cost-effectiveness of care. The authors studied the responses of consumers and health care professionals regarding the impact on dependency of various levels of disability. Striking differences in perception were noted, raising concerns about the ability of those providing care to assume that the recipients share their values about what is important. This study makes clear the need for more research on functional outcome measurements that incorporate the values of consumers.
Kane
R L
RL
University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, USA.
Rockwood
T
T
Finch
M
M
Philp
I
I
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D016852:Housing for the Elderly; D006801:Humans; D008910:Minnesota; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D012945:Social Values