Large-scale health outcomes evaluation: How should quality of life be measured? Part II—Questionnaire validation in a cohort of patients with advanced cancer

The main purpose of the present study was to test the experience with calibrating a generic four-item questionnaire, the Quality of Life and Health Questionnaire-according to the preferences of about 600 individuals from various walks of life in a cohort of 400 cancer patients.

Abstract

In Part I of this article (pp. 607-618) we described how a brief, generic questionnaire might be used to measure patients’ healthrelated quality of life (HRQOL) over time on a large-scale, national basis. Such a system of “outcomes management” [l] could be used to ascertain the effectiveness of health care services. This information, in turn, could improve clinical decision-making and help society ensure universal access to treatments and procedures that “work”, while curtailing public spending for those that do not. Determining “what works” depends on public values concerning the outcomes of care [2]. In Part I we reported our experience with calibrating a generic four-item questionnairethe Quality of Life and Health Questionnaire (QLHQ)-according to the preferences of about 600 individuals from various walks of life. We did not detect any systematic differences in preferences based on demographic or clinical factors. In Part II we describe our experience with the QLHQ in a cohort of 400 cancer patients. The main purpose of the present study was to test