scholarly journals P101: Quality of life in patients discharged from the emergency department with atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF/AFL): a prospective cohort study

CJEM ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (S1) ◽  
pp. S112
Author(s):  
S. Patrick ◽  
P. Duke ◽  
K. Lobay ◽  
M. Haager ◽  
B. Deane ◽  
...  

Introduction: Following an emergency department (ED) presentation for acute atrial fibrillation and/or flutter (AF/AFL), patients often experience anxiety, depression and impaired health-related quality of life (QoL). Emergency physicians may prescribe appropriate thrombo-embolic (TE) prophylaxis upon discharge; however, the QoL of these patients is unclear. This study measured the QoL of patients with AF/AFL following discharge to determine the factors associated with QoL. Methods: Patients ≥18 years of age identified by the attending physician as having a diagnosis of acute AF/AFL confirmed by ECG were prospectively enrolled from three Edmonton, AB EDs. Using standardized enrollment forms, trained research assistants collected data on patient demographics factors and management both in the ED and at discharge. Patients’ health-related QoL was assessed up to 20 days after their initial ED visit by a telephone interview based on six domains of the short-form 8 health survey. Results: From a total of 196 enrolled patients, 121 (62%) were male and the mean age was 63 years (standard deviation ±14). Most patients had previous history of AF/AFL (71%), and emergency physicians had the opportunity to treat or revise TE prevention therapy in 19% of the patients. The majority (89%) were discharged with prescriptions for antiplatelet or anticoagulant agents, and 188 (96%) were contacted by telephone at a median of 7 days. Most patients rated their overall health between good and excellent (70%); however, 30% assessed their health as fair or very poor. Many also reported having physical limitations (54%), difficulties completing their daily work (42%), bodily pain (32%) and limitations in social activities (32%). Finally, some patients reported having low energy (25%). At follow up, patients receiving adequate TE prevention rated their health to be similar to those without adequate TE prevention (30% vs 23%; p=0.534). Conclusion: Overall, patients with acute, symptomatic AF/AFL seen in the ED have impairments in health-related QoL following discharge from the ED. Many factors contribute to this impairment; however, providing patients with appropriate TE prophylaxis at discharge did not explain these findings. Further research is required to explore the impact of AF/AFL on patient’s health-related QoL after discharge from the ED.

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Kettis ◽  
Hanna Fagerlind ◽  
Jan-Erik Frödin ◽  
Bengt Glimelius ◽  
Lena Ring

Abstract Background Effective patient-physician communication can improve patient understanding, agreement on treatment and adherence. This may, in turn, impact on clinical outcomes and patient quality of life (QoL). One way to improve communication is by using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Heretofore, studies of the impact of using PROMs in clinical practice have mostly evaluated the use of standardized PROMs. However, there is reason to believe that individualized instruments may be more appropriate for this purpose. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of the standardized QoL-instrument, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life C-30 (EORTC-QOL-C30) and the individualized QoL instrument, the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life-Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW), in clinical practice. Methods In a prospective, open-label, controlled intervention study at two hospital out-patient clinics, 390 patients with gastrointestinal cancer were randomly assigned either to complete the EORTC-QOL-C30 or the SEIQoL-DW immediately before the consultation, with their responses being shared with their physician. This was repeated in 3–5 consultations over a period of 4–6 months. The primary outcome measure was patients’ health-related QoL, as measured by FACIT-G. Patients’ satisfaction with the consultation and survival were secondary outcomes. Results There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to study outcomes. Neither intervention instrument resulted in any significant changes in health-related QoL, or in any of the secondary outcomes, over time. This may reflect either a genuine lack of effect or sub-optimization of the intervention. Since there was no comparison to standard care an effect in terms of lack of deterioration over time cannot be excluded. Conclusions Future studies should focus on the implementation process, including the training of physicians to use the instruments and their motivation for doing so. The effects of situational use of standardized or individualized instruments should also be explored. The effectiveness of the different approaches may depend on contextual factors including physician and patient preferences.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (25) ◽  
pp. 2578-2584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Strosberg ◽  
Edward Wolin ◽  
Beth Chasen ◽  
Matthew Kulke ◽  
David Bushnell ◽  
...  

Purpose Neuroendocrine tumor (NET) progression is associated with deterioration in quality of life (QoL). We assessed the impact of 177Lu-Dotatate treatment on time to deterioration in health-related QoL. Methods The NETTER-1 trial is an international phase III study in patients with midgut NETs. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment with 177Lu-Dotatate versus high-dose octreotide. European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality-of-life questionnaires QLQ C-30 and G.I.NET-21 were assessed during the trial to determine the impact of treatment on health-related QoL. Patients completed the questionnaires at baseline and every 12 weeks until tumor progression. QoL scores were converted to a 100-point scale according to European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer instructions, and individual changes from baseline scores were assessed. Time to QoL deterioration (TTD) was defined as the time from random assignment to the first QoL deterioration ≥ 10 points for each patient in the corresponding domain scale. All analyses were conducted on the intention-to-treat population. Patients with no deterioration were censored at the last QoL assessment date. Results TTD was significantly longer in the 177Lu-Dotatate arm (n = 117) versus the control arm (n = 114) for the following domains: global health status (hazard ratio [HR], 0.406), physical functioning (HR, 0.518), role functioning (HR, 0.580), fatigue (HR, 0.621), pain (HR, 0.566), diarrhea (HR, 0.473), disease-related worries (HR, 0.572), and body image (HR, 0.425). Differences in median TTD were clinically significant in several domains: 28.8 months versus 6.1 months for global health status, and 25.2 months versus 11.5 months for physical functioning. Conclusion This analysis from the NETTER-1 phase III study demonstrates that, in addition to improving progression-free survival, 177Lu-Dotatate provides a significant QoL benefit for patients with progressive midgut NETs compared with high-dose octreotide.


Medicina ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kotryna Vereščiagina ◽  
Kazys Ambrozaitis ◽  
Bronius Špakauskas

Objective. For complete assessment of benefits of the surgical intervention, it is essential to provide evidence of the impact on patients in terms of health status and healthrelated quality of life. In the present study, the preoperative 36-item Short Form (SF-36) Health Survey scores were determined in patients before lumbar microdiscectomy due to better preoperative screening likewise in the control group – almost healthy population taken into account any habitual ailments experienced in an appropriate age. Patients and methods. In the present study, we investigated a cohort of 100 patients with disc herniation causing low back pain and another hundred of the control subjects, matched by age and gender. The short form 36 general health questionnaire (SF-36) was applied. Results. Estimation of the SF-36 scores showed that (1) all of the domain values were considerably lower in the preoperative patient group than in the second one (P<0.01); (2) the bodily pain scores were closely correlated to the social function scores (R=0.7, P<0.01), whereas the physical function was less related to the bodily pain (R=0.6, P<0.01). The weakest correlation was observed between bodily pain and mental health and general health (R=0.4, P<0.01). Conclusion. The present study showed that the generic instrument, SF-36 Health Survey, was optimized paraclinical method for patients predisposed to surgical treatment of the lumbar disc herniation disease likewise for normal population individuals, matched by age and sex, in the assessment of health-related quality of life.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lincoln M Tracy ◽  
Dale W Edgar ◽  
Rebecca Schrale ◽  
Heather Cleland ◽  
Belinda J Gabbe ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Itch and pain are common complaints of patients with burn injuries. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and predictors of itch and moderate to severe pain in the first 12 months following a burn injury, and determine the association between itch, moderate to severe pain, work-related outcomes, and health-related quality of life following a burn injury. Methods Burn patients aged 18 years and older were recruited from five Australian specialist burn units. Patients completed the 36-item Short Form Health Survey Version 2 (SF-36 V2), the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) work scale, and a specially developed questionnaire relating to itch at 1, 6, and 12 months post-injury. Moderate to severe pain was defined as a score less than 40 on the bodily pain domain of the SF-36 V2. Multivariate mixed-effects regression models were used to identify patient and burn injury predictors of itch and moderate to severe pain. Results Three hundred and twenty-eight patients were included. The prevalence of itch decreased from 50% at 1 month to 27% at 12 months. Similarly, the prevalence of moderate to severe pain decreased from 23% at 1 month to 13% at 12 months. Compared to patients aged 18-34, the adjusted odds of experiencing any itch were 59% (95% CI: 0.20, 0.82) and 55% (95% CI: 0.22, 0.91) lower for patients aged between 35 and 49 and ≥ 50 years, respectively. Compared to patients aged 18-34, the adjusted odds of experiencing moderate to severe pain were 3.12 (95% CI: 1.35, 7.20) and 3.42 (95% CI: 1.47, 7.93) times higher for patients aged 35-49 and ≥ 50 years, respectively. Conclusions Less than 15% of patients reported moderate or severe pain at 12 months, while approximately one-quarter of the patients reported itch at the same period. The presence of moderate to severe pain was associated with a greater negative impact on health-related quality of life and work outcomes compared to itch. Further research is needed to improve our ability to identify patients at higher risk of persistent itch and pain who would benefit from targeted review and intervention studies.


2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Karine Grov ◽  
Berit Taraldsen Valeberg

AbstractObjective:Cancer affects both patients and their caregivers. Caregiver burden may change during different stages of the patients' cancer trajectory. Limited research has focused on the impact of being a caregiver, assessed by the caregiver's mental health and quality of life (QOL) during the curative and the palliative phases of the patient's disease. The aim of this study is to compare caregivers of cancer patients during the curative and a palliative phases with respect to their mental health and health-related QOL.Method:This descriptive, cross-sectional study combines data from two studies. The first group consists of caregivers of patients with cancer in the late palliative phase and the second group consists of caregivers of outpatients with cancer who suffer from pain and/or use analgesics. Data were collected by means of standardized measures and analyzed with descriptive statistics.Results:Based on this material, no significant differences in mental health and health- related QOL were revealed for caregivers of cancer patients in the palliative and the curative phases, respectively. Neither education level in the caregivers, nor the patients' functional status influenced caregivers' mental health or QOL. Younger caregivers seem to have better physical QOL.Significance of results:Being caregivers of cancer patients seems to have a similar pattern of impact on caregivers' mental health and quality of life regardless of the patient's disease stage. We share some reflections about the way in which the cancer stage is divided and the appropriateness of such selection for measuring caregivers' mental health and QOL. Additionally, we discuss the use of generic instruments for measuring specific contexts and particular samples.


Cephalalgia ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
C-I Hung ◽  
C-Y Liu ◽  
J-L Fuh ◽  
Y-Y Juang ◽  
S-J Wang

This study investigated the impact of migraine on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). We prospectively enrolled 151 consecutive psychiatric out-patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for MDD. Migraine and other headache types were diagnosed based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edition (2004). The Short Form-36 (SF-36) was administered as a generic instrument of HRQoL. Among 151 patients with MDD, migraine ( N = 73, 48.3%) was very common. Comorbidity of migraine predicted a significantly negative impact on all physical subscales and vitality but not on the other mental subscales of the SF-36 after controlling for depression, age and gender. The presence of migraine should be considered as an important physical symptom in clinic-based MDD samples. Simultaneous management of depression and severe headaches, especially migraine, might improve HRQoL in patients with MDD.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (14) ◽  
pp. 1427-1436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Maunsell ◽  
Paul E. Goss ◽  
Rowan T. Chlebowski ◽  
James N. Ingle ◽  
José E. Alés-Martínez ◽  
...  

Purpose Exemestane, a steroidal aromatase inhibitor, reduced invasive breast cancer incidence by 65% among 4,560 postmenopausal women randomly assigned to exemestane (25 mg per day) compared with placebo in the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) Clinical Trials Group MAP.3 (Mammary Prevention 3) trial, but effects on quality of life (QOL) were not fully described. Patients and Methods Menopause-specific and health-related QOL were assessed by using the four Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL) domains and the eight Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scales at baseline, 6 months, and yearly thereafter. MENQOL questionnaire completion was high (88% to 98%) in both groups at each follow-up visit. Change scores for each MENQOL and SF-36 scale, calculated at each assessment time relative to baseline, were compared by using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Clinically important worsened QOL was defined as a MENQOL change score increase of more than 0.5 (of 8) points and an SF-36 change score decrease of more than 5 (of 100) points from baseline. Results Exemestane had small negative effects on women's self-reported vasomotor symptoms, sexual symptoms, and pain, which occurred mainly in the first 6 months to 2 years after random assignment. However, these changes represented only a small excess number of women being given exemestane with clinically important worsening of QOL at one time or another; specifically, 8% more in the vasomotor domain and 4% more each in the sexual domain and for pain. No other between-group differences were observed. Overall, slightly more women in the exemestane arm (32%) than in the placebo arm (28%) discontinued assigned treatment. Conclusion Exemestane given for prevention has limited negative impact on menopause-specific and health-related QOL in healthy postmenopausal women at risk for breast cancer.


2013 ◽  
pp. 54-58
Author(s):  
Mateus Lage Martins ◽  
Rafael Corrêa Valério ◽  
Tales José Corrêa de Almeida ◽  
Vitor Rodrigues Laender ◽  
Dilermando Fazito de Resende ◽  
...  

Background: Headaches are prevalent in the pediatric population. Migraine significantly impacts the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of sufferers. Objective: To measure the impact of migraine on the HRQoL of children, by applying the Brazilian version of the SF-36 in children with migraine and in controls. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, HRQoL was measured with the SF-36, and scores for the 8 domains of the test were contrasted comparing children (5 to 14 years) with and without migraine. Results: Sample consisted of 66 children (30 with migraine and 36 controls). Mean age was 10.9 years for migraine (Standard Deviation - SD = 3 years) and 10.4 for controls (SD = 3.1 years). Proportion of children with low HRQoL scores was significantly higher in the migraine group, relative to controls, for the 8 domains of the test: vitality, physical functioning, bodily pain, general health perceptions, physical role functioning, emotional role functioning, social role functioning, and mental health. Conclusion: Children with migraine are significantly impacted in their HRQoL, relative to children without migraine.


Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 2167-2167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren M Beverung ◽  
John J. Strouse ◽  
Monica L. Hulbert ◽  
Kathleen A Neville ◽  
Robert I. Liem ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: As patient-centered care advances, measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQL) has become increasingly important when assessing the impact of a disease or therapy on a child. Red blood cell transfusions are an effective preventative therapy for some acute and chronic complications in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). This study aimed to determine the impact of transfusion therapy on health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes of children with SCD. Procedure: Children (n = 196) who participated in the Multicenter Silent Infarct Transfusion (SIT) Trial were grouped per protocol into either those who received 18 months or more of transfusion or less than 18 months of transfusion (observation). Parents/guardians of children ages 5 to 18 years completed assessments of HRQL using the Child Health Questionnaire at baseline and at the time of study exit or neurological event, if that occurred. Results: Children (43% female) had a mean age of 9.55 years (SD= 2.59) at study enrollment, and 92% were Black. There were no differences between study groups (effectively transfused vs. observation) in regards to gender, disease severity, rates of pain and acute chest syndrome, or baseline levels of HRQL. At study exit, independent samples t-tests revealed children in the effectively transfused group had significantly higher scores than the observation group for the following HRQL domains: Physical Function (M = 12.68, SE = 3.52), t (174) = 3.61, p ≤ 0.001; Bodily Pain (M = 13.16, SE = 3.74), t (174) = 3.51, p ≤ 0.001; and Change in Health (M = 0.39, SE = 0.14), t(166) = 2.71, p=0.01. Additionally, children in the effectively transfused group scored 4.98 (SE = 1.98) points higher on Physical Summary Scores than children in the observation group, t (170) = 2.52, p= 0.01. Thus, parents report that children who received at least 18 months of transfusions had better overall physical functioning, less bodily pain, and more improved overall health than children who had fewer than 18 months of transfusions. Both groups reported changes in HRQL over time. Compared to study entry, paired samples t-tests revealed children in the observation group indicated an increase of 0.42 (SE = 0.14) points for Change in Health scores [t (77) = 3.06, p ≤ 0.001], but had a decrease of 5.95 (SE = 2.07) points for Self-Esteem at study exit, t (85) = -2.87, p = 0.01. Children in the transfusion group improved by 7.22 (SE = 3.11) points in regards to pain over the course of the study, t (78) = 2.32, p = 0.02. Additionally, these children had better overall health as exhibited by their Change in Health scores (MD = 0.93, SE = 0.14), t (72) = 6.80, p = ≤ 0.001, and General Health scores (MD = 4.13, SE = 1.83), t (77) = 2.26, p = 0.03. Further improvements over time were noted for the effectively transfused group for Physical Functioning (MD = 6.58, SE = 3.09), t (78) = 2.13, p = 0.04, and Physical Summary Scores(MD = 4.89, SE = 1.82), t (73) = 2.69, p= 0.01. Although both study groups reported improvements in Change in Health scores over the course of the study (Effectively Transfused: MD = 0.93, SE = 0.14; Observation: MD = 0.42, SE = 0.14), an estimated Least Square Means analysis revealed children in the observation group did not improve as much as children in the effectively transfused group, Difference Estimate = -0.46, p= 0.02. Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence that blood transfusion improves HRQL in children with SCD. Children in the SIT trial who received at least 18 months of chronic blood transfusion therapy felt better and had better overall HRQL than those who had less than 18 months of transfusion therapy. Disclosures Casella: Mast Therapeutics, previously Adventrix, ImmunoArray: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding.


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