Home / Summaries / Capita Selecta in Clinical Psychology / qol-measures-illness

The impact of Illness on quality of life

5 important questions on The impact of Illness on quality of life

Subscales related to HRQoL (epilepsy)

General epilepsy impact
memory/concentration problems
Attitudes toward epilepsy
physical functioning
stigma
social support
school behavior
general health perceptions

End-of-life QoL

Requires that patients are pain-free, experience little distress, maintain some dignity and control, and can maintain relationships with loved ones in a caring and compassionate environment. Openness regarding dying may enable greater preparation for death and bereavement among patients and spouse carers, which has, in turn, been associated with reduced levels of emotional distress.

Scheier and Carver's self-regulation theory

Describes a process of goal attainment in the face of a disturbance such as illness. It is proposed that the disturbance of personal goal attainment caused by chronic illness and its consequences is likely to influence a person's perceived QoL.

Why is QoL an useful assessment in the clinical practice?

Measure to inform- inform interventions and best practice, and inform patients about treatment outcomes or possible side-effects in order that they are mentally 'prepared' for them
Measure to evaluate alternatives - QoL measures may be used as a form of clinical 'audit' to identify which interventions have the 'best' outcomes - for the patient but also in relation to costs
Measure to promote communication - unlikely to be the primary motive but might require health professionals to address areas that they may not otherwise have done.

Generic or disease-specific measures

Generic measures will allow for comparison between different ill groups, often fail to address some of the unique QoL issues for that illness. Disease-specific measures have 'added value' but they do not allow for between illness comparison.