Implementation of computer-based quality-of-life monitoring in brain tumor outpatients in routine clinical practice.
BACKGROUND
Computerized assessment of quality of life (QOL) in patients with brain tumors can be an essential part of quality assurance with regard to evidence-based medicine in neuro-oncology.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this project was the implementation of a computer-based QOL monitoring tool in a neurooncology outpatient unit. A further aim was to derive reference values for QOL scores from the collected data to improve interpretability.


METHODS
Since August 2005, patients with brain tumors treated at the neuro-oncology outpatient unit of the Innsbruck Medical University were consecutively included in the study. QOL assessment (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer [EORTC] Quality of Life Questionnaire [QLQ-C30] plus the EORTC QLQ-brain cancer module [BN20]) was computer-based, using a software tool called the Computer-based Health Evaluation System.


RESULTS
A total of 110 patients with primary brain tumors (49% female; mean [standard deviation] age 47.9 [12.6] years; main diagnoses: 30.9% astrocytoma, 17.3% oligodendroglioma, 17.3% glioblastoma, 13.6% meningioma) was included in the study. On average, QOL was assessed 4.74 times per patient, 521 times in total. The user-friendly software was successfully implemented and tested. The routine QOL assessment was found to be feasible and was well accepted by both physicians and patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The software-generated graphic QOL profiles were found to be an important tool for screening patients for clinically relevant problems. Thus, computer-based QOL monitoring can contribute to an optimization of treatment (e.g., symptom management, psychosocial interventions) and facilitate data collection for research purposes.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Innsbruck Medical University, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
Astrid
A
Erharter
Johannes
J
Giesinger
Georg
G
Kemmler
Gabriele
G
Schauer-Maurer
Guenter
G
Stockhammer
Armin
A
Muigg
Markus
M
Hutterer
Gerhard
G
Rumpold
Barbara
B
Sperner-Unterweger
Bernhard
B
Holzner
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D010045:Outpatients; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult