title: Health-related quality of life as a predictor of tuberculosis treatment outcomes in Iraq.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine how tuberculosis (TB) treatment affects the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients with pulmonary TB and to identify the predictors of favourable TB treatment outcomes in Baghdad, Iraq.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Tuberculosis (FACIT-TB), a new TB-specific quality of life instrument derived from the internationally recognized FACIT measurement system for the assessment of HRQL, was administered. The mean total and subscale scores of the FACIT-TB at baseline, end of the intensive phase, and end of TB treatment were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the 2-month intensive phase, physical well-being, functional well-being, and the overall total scores were significantly increased (p<0.01). Furthermore, at completion of TB treatment, there were significant improvements in the overall HRQL as indicated by the FACIT-TB total score and all subscales, except social and economic well-being and spiritual well-being. In a direct logistic regression model, only the FACIT-TB total score made a statistically significant contribution towards predicting the likelihood that a patient would have a favourable TB treatment outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapeutic intervention had a positive impact on patient HRQL. We conclude that FACIT-TB is a reliable tool to monitor HRQL during the course of TB treatment.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia. Electronic address: jumandujaili@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Juman Abdulelah
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dujaili
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Syed Azhar Syed
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Sulaiman
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohamed Azmi
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hassali
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pharmacy and Practice Section, College of Pharmacy, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Awaisu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UCSI University, Jalan Menara Gading, UCSI Heights, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ali Qais
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Blebil
authors.affiliation: FACIT.org, Elmhurst, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bredle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: FACIT; FACT-G; HRQL; Outcome; Treatment; Tuberculosis