The impact of individual quality of life assessment on psychosocial attention in patients with chest malignancies: a randomized study.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were to investigate the impact of individual health-related quality of life (HRQL) evaluation on the attention towards symptom control and psychosocial function in advanced cancer patients.


METHODS
Patients with advanced lung cancer or mesothelioma who attended a pulmonary oncology outpatient clinic were randomized to either of two strategies for HRQL assessment. The experimental group (EG) answered the EORTC QLQ-C30 + LC13 questionnaire using a digital table interface, with outprint of aggregated scale scores presented to the consulting physician as a support for evaluation. The control group (CG) answered a paper version of the same questionnaire, which was stored for later analysis. Consultations were audio-recorded. Outcome measures were a quantitative content analysis of audio-recorded consultations and medical and psychosocial interventions abstracted from clinical records.


RESULTS
One hundred seventy-one patients were randomized and participated in the study. Issues regarding emotional function were more frequently discussed during consultations in the EG (p < 0.05). Similarly, interventions directed to emotional and social concerns were more frequent in the EG (p = 0.013 and p = 0.0036, respectively). HRQL measures over time were similar across the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Individual HRQL assessment increased the attention to psychosocial functioning in patients with chest malignancies.
Institution of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. mercedes.nicklasson@vgregion.se
Mercedes
M
Nicklasson
Magnus L
ML
Elfström
Jan
J
Olofson
Bengt
B
Bergman
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001288:Attention; D003657:Decision Making; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D063189:Symptom Assessment / Q000379:methods