Assessing and Defining Quality of Life: the Lung Cancer Patient's Perspective

Because patients are the best source of information for quality of life data, they may provide a unique perspective on how quality of life is currently assessed and defined. A sample of 65 lung cancer patients evaluated three currently available quality of life self-report questionnaires: the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung Version Scale (FACT-L), the Functional Living IndexCancer (FLIC), and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Participants also provided their views on the content domain of quality of life. Results indicated that participants disagreed about which of the three quality of life questionnaires was the "best" measure. However, respondents rated all questionnaires favorably. Results also indicated that patients disagreed about which aspects of quality of life were important, providing support for the view that subjective value judgements need to be incorporated into assessment instruments. Respondents defined quality of life with respect to feeling healthy, taking part in leisure activities, enjoying life, and being with family and friends. Consideration of patients' perspectives on quality of life may pave the way for more valid and more effective vehicles of communication in the future.