Seminars in Oncology Nursing
Volume 26, Issue 1 , Pages 2-11, February 2010

Advances in Measuring Quality-of-Life Outcomes in Cancer Care

  • Carol Estwing Ferrans

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to Carol Estwing Ferrans, PhD, RN, FAAN, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Nursing (MC 802), 845 S. Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60612

Objective

To provide practical guidance for the selection and use of quality-of-life (QOL) instruments for research and clinical practice.

Data Sources

Published articles, books, and web resources.

Conclusion

Even among instruments designed specifically to measure QOIL, there are vast differences in what they actually measure. The choice of instrument can make the difference between whether real changes in QOL are captured or not.

Implications for Nursing Practice

QOL outcomes are ideal for determining the efficacy and impact of cancer care. Incorporating QOL into standard clinical practice holds great promise for improving communication with health care providers, with a resultant improvement in patient outcomes.

Key Words: Quality of life, measurement tools, outcomes measures in health care, outcomes assessment, instruments, cancer

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PII: S0749-2081(09)00109-0

doi:10.1016/j.soncn.2009.11.002

Seminars in Oncology Nursing
Volume 26, Issue 1 , Pages 2-11, February 2010

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