Health-Related Quality of Life and Health Management

Abstract

The present article discusses the nature of quality of life (QOL) in general and critically evaluates its application in the area of health and illness. As regards health related quality of life (HRQoL), it is now widely recognised that treating a disease in a purely biomedical framework, where emphasis is only on curing the disease and on providing prolonged life to the patient, is not sufficient. Now the focus is also on how to enhance the QOL of patients. In this context this article attempts to identify and critically evaluate some of the contemporary issues relevant in the area of HRQoL. The issues covered in this article include relatively simple issues related to the meaning, importance, usefulness and prevalent approaches in the area of HRQoL research and complex issues such as (i)who would be accountable for a patient’s HRQoL (ii)being HRQoL stable or it changing over time (response shift) for people facing chronic diseases and (iii)whether gender differences exist in this regard. Lastly, the article also discusses the implication of HRQoL in the area of health management and intervention.

Health‐related quality of life and related factors among a sample of older people with cognitive impairment

“…But also, because health comprises many interrelated components, such as physical functioning, cognitive functioning, mental well‐being and self‐regulation (Leist, Kulmala, & Nyqvist, ). Furthermore, health is often described as a positive concept that has been operationalized in terms of self‐reported (mental and physical) health status and broader health status, which includes the ability to continue with daily social role functioning (Huber et al, ; Singh & Dixit, ). Thus, the establishment of health status should be based on definitions of the concept of health that are multidimensional (Bowling, ).…”

Health-related quality of life and sense of coherence among people with obesity: Important factors for health management

“…38 The observed differences in this study can thereby be interpreted as being gender dependent. According to Singh and Dixit, 10 two important factors that can explain gender differences in HRQoL are physiological and psychosocial factors. With regard to physiological factors, women are more likely than men to have co-morbid conditions such as hypertension and diabetes related to obesity, 30 and women tend to be older at the onset of the disease.…”

Reliability and Validity of the King's Health Questionnaire for Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Taiwan

“…Increasing awareness of health and quality of life for patients with urinary problems, the patient‐reported health‐related quality of life (HR‐QoL) has become an important outcome criterion when evaluating the efficacy and effects of healthcare or treatment for people who suffer from LUTS 2,3 . The HR‐QoL is a sense of well‐being reflecting an individual's satisfaction with her or his life in various life domains such as physical, social and role functioning, and emotional health that are disrupted by disease process or health‐related deficits 4 . Previous studies on the impact of LUTS on HR‐QoL used the general HR‐QoL scale such as the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey 5 or disease‐specific scales, 6,7 rather than the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ).…”

“…2,3 The HR-QoL is a sense of well-being reflecting an individual's satisfaction with her or his life in various life domains such as physical, social and role functioning, and emotional health that are disrupted by disease process or health-related deficits. 4 Previous studies on the impact of LUTS on HR-QoL used the general HR-QoL scale such as the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey 5 or disease-specific scales, 6,7 rather than the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ).…”