Quality of life assessment in chronic liver disease.
The evaluation of quality of life in chronic liver disease is a crucial outcome measure of all interventions on patients. This paper presents a variety of clinical situations in which it is essential to assess quality of life: in fact, chronic liver disease ranges from asymptomatic B or C hepatitis to liver failure and transplantation. It also points out some methodological pitfalls: in particular, the choice of validated questionnaires, the use of generic instruments versus specific ones, timing of administration, choice of cross-sectional versus longitudinal studies, control of bias (selection and attrition) and other relevant methodological issues.
Cirrincione
Rosalia
R
Laboratorio di Epidemiologia e Biostatistica Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, Roma 00161, Italy. amele@iss.it
Taliani
Gloria
G
Caporaso
Nicola
N
Mele
Alfonso
A
D002908:Chronic Disease; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires