Paediatric health-related quality of life: what is it and why should we measure it?

Introduction As a paediatrician, you follow a number of children with chronic health conditions in your practice. You provide them with a variety of therapies and would like to know whether your treatments are having an impact, in particular whether there has been a change in the patient's health-related quality of life (HRQOL). HRQOL measures have the potential to augment the information that clinicians have available, to enhance their clinical decisions and assess the impact of a chronic health condition on a child's life. How should you try to capture this information? What is health-related quality of life? The WHO defines quality of life (QOL) as ‘a child's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns’1 and HRQOL) as ‘a child's goals, expectations, standards...
Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Drugs: cardiovascular system, Child health Leading article Source Type: research