[Evaluation of health-related quality of life (HRQL) based on information from Coop/Wonca sheets in hemodialysis patients].
There has been increasing interest to find instruments to assess the HRQL quickly and easily in daily clinical practice. The main objective of this study is to measure the HRQL inhemodialysis patients using the Coop-Wonca Charts and to analyse whether they can be a useful instrument to assess the patient functional status and the HRQL in this population.


METHODS
A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed between March 2003 and May 2003 in 163 hemodialysis patients (106 males and 57 females). The HRQL has been measured according to the validated Spanish version of the Coop-Wonca Charts. The questionnaire has nine different scales with a single-item. The answers score from 1 to 5 with the higher scores indicating the worst health or functional problems.


RESULTS
The filling middle time of Coop-Wonca charts was less than five minutes. The charts were easily understood for the patients and can be self-administered. The dimensions of "Physical fitness" (3.66 +/- 0.8) and "Overall health" (3.43 +/- 0.8) showed the higher score, and the item aSocial activities) showed the lower scores (better quality of life) (1.98 +/- 1.3). The factors related to the worse health state are the variables: sex (females), the comorbility (diabetes and/or hepatopathy), the labour status (retired) and the way of transport (taxi/ambu lance). The time in hemodialysis was an independent variable and showed the worse score in the "general quality of life" (p < 0.05) and in the "perception of pain" (p < 0.01). The way of transport used (ambulances) was also an independent variable with worse scores for the dimensions "Physical fitness" (p < 0.01), "Daily activities" (p < 0.05) and "Health status" (p < 0.05). The older patients showed a worse score in the dimension "Physical fitness" (p < 0.01) and the patients with more than prescribed medicines scored worse in "Social activities" (p < 0.01). Males (p < 0.05), widows and single (p < 0.05) scored worse in social support.


CONCLUSIONS
The Coop-Wonca Charts could be a good instrument to measure of HRQL in the HD patients. Their application is easy, fast (less than 5 minutes), easily understood, and can be self-administered.
Arenas
M D
MD
Hospital Perpetuo Socorro, Alicante. arenasd@perpetuosocorro.nehos.com
Moreno
E
E
Reig
A
A
Millán
I
I
Egea
J J
JJ
Amoedo
M L
ML
Gil
M T
MT
Sirvent
A E
AE
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires