title: Quality of life and severity of symptoms in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: a clinical review.
abstract: My purpose is to review the quality of life (QoL) instruments used in the assessment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and assess the effects of GORD on quality of life. Many instruments have been used in the assessment of quality of life in patients with GORD, and these have varied both in quality and purpose. In general, the choice of instrument depends on its purpose. Several investigators, using generic quality of life instruments, have shown that GORD significantly reduces QoL, and its effects are comparable with those of congestive heart failure. However, these generic instruments do not seem to be sensitive enough to measure the effects of treatments on GORD. For this, disease-specific instruments are more appropriate. Both medical and surgical treatment has been shown to improve QoL. The choice of instrument is entirely dependent on the investigator's reason for measuring QoL in GORD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Henry Ford Hospital and Health System, Detroit, Michigan 48202-2689, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Velanovich
mesh_terms: D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000145:classification* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D009853:Omeprazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011899:Ranitidine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D011899:Ranitidine; D009853:Omeprazole