Assessing the impact of venous ulceration on quality of life.
BACKGROUND
There can be difficulties in measuring how quality of life is affected by having a leg ulcer.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of venous ulceration on quality of life and to pilot a draft questionnaire for patients with venous ulcers.


METHODS
Questions on the impact of venous ulceration were identified through a literature review, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. A self-completed postal questionnaire containing 16 disease-specific items, EuroQol, SF-6 and life-satisfaction questions was sent to 266 people with a history of venous ulceration.


CONCLUSIONS
A response rate of 61% (n = 152) was obtained. The most frequent symptoms reported were pain (80%), exudate (75%), and depression (65%). The presence of an ulcer resulted in statistically significant lower quality-of-life and life-satisfaction scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with venous ulcers experience reduced quality of life. Those with a healed ulcer also have a poorer quality of life compared with the general population.
Palfreyman
Simon
S
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D014647:Varicose Ulcer / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology