Potentially inappropriate drug use and health-related quality of life in the elderly.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between two widely used, generic health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures, Short Form-12 (SF-12) and EuroQol's EQ-5D, and potentially inappropriate drug use in an elderly cohort.


METHODS
Longitudinal retrospective cohort study.


METHODS
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, panel 5.


METHODS
Respondents aged 65 years or older.


RESULTS
Participants with potentially inappropriate drug use were identified by using National Drug Codes based on the Beers updated criteria. The dependent variable, HRQOL, was measured by using self-reported scores on the SF-12 (physical component summary, mental component summary, and global rating of health) and the EQ-5D (index and visual analog scale). The HRQOL data were regressed onto scores for potentially inappropriate drug, age, sex, number of prescriptions, race, comorbidity, and previous HRQOL. Regression analysis revealed statistically significant models for all five HRQOL equations (adjusted R2=26.50-53.83%, p<0.0001). However, potentially inappropriate drug use was not a significant predictor of HRQOL in any of the models tested. Previous HRQOL, as measured by using the SF-12 (global, physical component summary, and mental component summary) and the EQ-5D (index and visual analog scale), was a significant predictor of HRQOL; number of prescriptions was also a significant predictor of HRQOL, as measured by using the SF-12 (global and physical component summary) and the EQ-5D (index and visual analog scale).


CONCLUSIONS
The results supported others showing that a significant proportion of the elderly receive care that is potentially harmful and not supported by evidence-based practice. Use of a disease-specific HRQOL scale may be more responsive to measuring the impact of potentially inappropriate drugs on patients' HRQOL.
Franic
Duska M
DM
Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, and the Department of Clinical Services, Walgreens Health Initiatives, Deerfield, IL, USA. dfranic@rx.uga.edu
Jiang
Jenny Z
JZ
D000368:Aged; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires