Can the "quality of life" be used as a criterion in health care services?
Because the resources in health care services are limited, different criteria have been used to choose patients for treatment or for non-treatment. The 'Quality of Life' criterion is the one most commonly used in different parts of the world. However the usefulness and necessity of quality of life judgements in health services has always been controversial. This article discusses the 'Quality of Life' criterion from different perspectives. It appears from the discussion that it is not easy to define 'Quality of Life' and the difficulty originates from the relativity of the concept. The article also examines the QALY (Quality Adjusted Life Year), and concludes that it not only involves ageism and sexism but also injustice and unfair discrimination. The article finally argues that it is not possible to measure the quality of life of an individual either accurately or reliably. Therefore it cannot be used as a criterion in health care services.
Aksoy
S
S
Department of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Sanliurfa, Turkey.
D005066:Euthanasia, Passive; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006296:Health Services; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D011788:Quality of Life; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012935:Social Justice