Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to register

Palliative Medicine
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Echteld, M. A
Right arrow Articles by Van der Rijt, C. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Echteld, M. A
Right arrow Articles by Van der Rijt, C. C.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?

Changes in and correlates of individual quality of life in advanced cancer patients admitted to an academic unit for palliative care

Michael A Echteld

VU University Medical Center, Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Erasmus MC - Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Department of Medical Oncology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, michael.echteld{at}vumc.nl

Lia van Zuylen

Erasmus MC - Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Department of Medical Oncology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Marjolein Bannink

Erasmus MC - Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Department of Psychiatry; Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Erica Witkamp

Erasmus MC - Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Department of Medical Oncology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Carin CD Van der Rijt

Erasmus MC - Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, Department of Medical Oncology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Changes in individual quality of life (IQoL) and its correlates in patients admitted to an academic palliative care unit are reported. Correlates tested were pain, fatigue, and reconceptualization (changes in content of quality of life, a measure of adaptation). IQoL was measured with a structured interview method that derives an IQoL score from evaluations of individually nominated life areas. Twenty-nine patients were included in the study and interviewed shortly after unit admission. Sixteen patients were interviewed before discharge (more than 1 week between interviews). The results show that mean IQoL scores improved notably. Pain and IQoL correlated negatively and moderately at admission, and correlations between fatigue and pain at discharge and IQoL were negative and strong. An increasing number of changes in life areas was moderately associated with worsening IQoL. Life area's most often nominated were relationships with family members and friends, symptoms and aspects related to maintaining control. Palliative Medicine 2007; 21: 199—205

Key Words: cancer • palliative care • quality of life • response shift

Palliative Medicine, Vol. 21, No. 3, 199-205 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1352458507077404
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?