Quality of Life

ISBN-13: 9780727915443 / Angielski / Miękka / 2002 / 142 str.

Opis

The way we think about health and health care is changing. Two factors driving this change are that we recognise the importance of the social consequences of disease and secondly, we acknowledge that health care aims to increase both the quantity and quality of survival. For these reasons, health care focusses more and more on 'quality of life'.

Measuring quality of life brings many challenges. What do we mean by 'quality of life'? Who should measure it? How can we measure it? What can we use the information for?

This book provides an accessible but up to date and authoritative overview of the measurement of quality of life in health care. It brings together the work of authors from Medicine, Palliative Care, Nursing, Ethics, Dentistry, Assistive Technology, Sociology, Epidemiology and Statistics.

Spis treści

Current state of the art in quality of life measurement.

Is quality of life determined by expectations or experience?.

Are quality of life measures patient centred?.

Quality of life in caregivers.

Assessing quality of life in children.

Who should measure quality of life?.

The clinical utility of quality of life measures.

Measuring the impact of assistive technologies on quality of life:can rehab profs rise to challenge?.

How to choose a quality of life measure.

Longitudinal analysis of quality of life data.

Is there such a thing as a life not worth living?.

Glossary.

Index

Blurb

Measurement of quality of life is increasingly important in both research and patient management. How is this possible when one person s valuation may not be anything like another s? The problems thrown up by this conundrum are addressed in this book. Leading researchers examine the ways that meaningful measurement may be achieved. The topics they cover include: Current state of the art in quality of life measurement Is quality of life determined by expectations or experience? Are quality of life measures patient–centred? Quality of life in care givers Assessing quality if life in children Who should measure quality of life? The clinical utility of quality of life measures Measuring the impact of assistive technologies on quality of life How to choose a quality of life measure Longitudinal analysis of quality of life data Is there such a thing as a life not worth living? This is an invaluable book for all researchers and clinicians wanting to improve delivery of care to patients with chronic disease. It provides sound research evidence in a concise and easily digested form. It should both prove and important contribution to the quality in health care movement and a basis for further study.