ABSTRACT
Introduction: SEIQoL-DW is a method of measuring the subjective QOL by focusing on five areas considered important by the patient in a semi-structured counseling session. The objective of this study was to evaluate areas considered important by patients undergoing anti-cancer therapy and the subjective QOL. Methods: SEIQoL-DW was carried out consecutively on patients who met the inclusion criteria such as pain STAS-J 1 or lower at palliative care outpatient service. Results: The study was implemented on 68 subjects (35 anti-cancer therapy patients, and 33 palliative care patients). Commonly selected areas by anti-cancer therapy patients were “family” at 94%, “cancer treatment” at 69%, “health” at 43%, “friends” at 43%, “hobbies” at 40%. The mean subjective QOL of anti-cancer therapy patients was significantly lower than that of palliative care patients (61.5 vs 74.4). Conclusion: The area “family” makes great impact on the QOL. On the other hand, putting high importance on “cancer treatment” may have a negative impact on the QOL.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: SEIQoL-DW is a method of measuring the subjective QOL of each patient by focusing on five areas considered important by the patient in a semi-structured counseling session. The objective of this study was to longitudinally evaluate the shift in areas considered important by advanced-cancer patients along with the shift in the subjective QOL. Methods: Patients who underwent SEIQoL-DW at the time of palliative care visit (first session) and after palliative care hospitalization (second session) within 1 year, in addition to also meeting the inclusion criteria such as a pain level of STAS 1 or lower, were included as the study subjects.Results: A total of 5 cases (mean age of 67.6 years among 1 male case and 4 female cases) were included. The P.S. was 1 for all cases at the first session, among which 3 cases were undergoing chemotherapy. At the second session, the P.S. was 3 or 4 for all cases. The mean time between the two sessions was 164 days. In all cases, 3 or more of the 5 important areas changed at the time of the second session. The SEIQoL-index, which is a comprehensive subjective QOL, improved in 3 cases but decreased in the other 2 cases. Conclusion: The areas considered important by terminal phase patients widely change. The shift in subjective QOL of each patient does not necessarily correspond to the decrease in the P.S. level.
ABSTRACT
<b>Purpose:</b> The Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life - Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW) is designed to investigate an individual's perspective on their own quality of life (QOL) and has been used widely among various clinical populations, including cancer patients and those with chronic kidney disease, in addition to healthy participants. While the original SEIQoL-DW is a semi-structured interview, other formats have been developed; recently computer-based versions have yielded equivalent results comparable to paper-based versions. However, no previous study has examined differences between the computer-based version and its original interview-based design. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility and validity of a computer-based version of the SEIQoL-DW, compared with the original interview-based format.<br><b>Methods:</b> We conducted a non-randomized crossover study with 13 medical students from November 2008 to January 2009 at a municipal university in Yokohama, Japan. Both the computer-based and interview-based versions of SEIQoL-DW were administered to all study participants. Wilcoxon-signed rank test was used to compare differences in mean SEIQoL Index score between computer-based and interview-based results. The intra-class correlation coefficient and the Bland and Altman limits of agreement methods were used to compare formats.<br><b>Results:</b> No significant differences were found in the SEIQoL-DW Index between the computer-based and interview versions after analysis with Wilcoxon-signed rank test (p = 0.501). The intra-class correlation between formats was 0.94 (CI: 0.81–0.98). The limit of agreement analysis showed that 53.3% of the observations were within ±1–5 units of the average score, while 46.7% were within ±5–10 units. In total, 100% of observations were within ±1–10 units.<br><b>Conclusions:</b> The computer-administered version of SEIQoL-DW may be feasible and acceptable and provides a valid alternative, at least in healthy subjects, to the more cumbersome interview version. Use of the computer-based version will facilitate its application to larger patient populations in various clinical settings.