A systematic review of quality of life research in medicine and health sciences.

PURPOSE: Quality of life (QOL) is an important concept in the field of health and medicine. QOL is a complex concept that is interpreted and defined differently within and between disciplines, including the fields of health and medicine. The aims of this study were to systematically review the literature on QOL in medicine and health research and to describe the country of origin, target groups, instruments, design, and conceptual issues. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to identify research studies on QOL and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The databases Scopus, which includes Embase and MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched for articles published during one random week in November 2016. The ten predefined criteria of Gill and Feinstein were used to evaluate the conceptual and methodological rigor. RESULTS: QOL research is international and involves a variety of target groups, research designs, and QOL measures. According to the criteria of Gill and Feinstein, the results show that only 13% provided a definition of QOL, 6% distinguished QOL from HRQOL. The most frequently fulfilled criteria were: (i) stating the domains of QOL to be measured; (ii) giving a reason for choosing the instruments used; and (iii) aggregating the results from multiple items. CONCLUSION: QOL is an important endpoint in medical and health research, and QOL research involves a variety of patient groups and different research designs. Based on the current evaluation of the methodological and conceptual clarity of QOL research, we conclude that the majority QOL studies in health and medicine have conceptual and methodological challenges.

How patients with diabetes who have foot and leg ulcers perceive the nursing care they receive.

OBJECTIVE: This Norwegian study set out to explore the nursing care experienced by patients with diabetes who have a foot and/or leg ulcer. METHOD: A qualitative method was used, with in-depth recorded interviews of patients living at home and receiving district nursing care. Seven patients were interviewed at home for 45 minutes to two hours. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using Kvale's thematic and meaning analysis. RESULTS: Several themes emerged, even though sample was not a homogeneous group: the expert patient (where patients acquired knowledge about their treatment and then passed this on to new and inexperienced nurses); fragmented nursing care (caused by lack of continuity in care); impersonal nursing care (where nurses did not view the patient as an individual, but focused solely on their wound); the ideal nurse (nursing attributes the patients valued most highly, such as engaging with them and attempting to understand their situation). CONCLUSION: Crucial to the successful treatment of patients with diabetes who have foot and/or leg ulcers is an understanding of their feelings about their ulcer and its impact on their quality of life. Further research in this area is recommended.