Quality of Life Among Informal Caregivers of Patients With Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study

Background Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a common, chronic neurological condition that severely affects individuals by causing a range of disabling symptoms, frequently at a time around the peak of their careers. Subsequently, individuals with DCM often become dependent on informal care arrangements. The significant economic contribution of informal care and its burden on care providers are becoming increasingly recognized. Objective This study aimed to measure the quality of life of DCM informal caregivers and provide preliminary insight into possible contributing factors. Methods Carers of individuals with DCM completed a Web-based survey hosted by Myelopathy.org, an international DCM charity. Carer quality of life was assessed in the form of caregiver happiness and 7 dimensions of carer burden using the Care-Related Quality of Life (CarerQol) instrument. The relationships between patient disease severity, patient pain, and carer quality of life were investigated. Differences in carer quality of life were assessed across patient and carer demographic groups, including between UK and US carers. Results DCM caregivers experienced substantial burden as a result of their caregiving (mean CarerQol-7D=64.1; 95% CI 58.8-69.5) and low happiness (mean CarerQol-VAS [Visual Analog Scale]=6.3; 95% CI 5.7-6.9). Burden was high and happiness was low in DCM carers when compared with a large, mixed-disease study of adult informal carers where CarerQol-7D was 79.1 and CarerQol-VAS was 7.1. No significant relationship was found between DCM carer quality of life and patient disease severity and pain scores. DCM carer quality of life appeared uniform across all patient and carer demographic groups. Conclusions Caring for individuals with DCM is associated with reduced quality of life in the form of significant burden and reduced happiness. Reductions appear greater in DCM than in other diseases investigated. However, no simple relationship was identified between individual patient or carer factors and carer quality of life.

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Quality of Life Among Informal Caregivers of Patients With Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.12381 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Oliver Daniel Mowforth ◽

Benjamin Marshall Davies ◽

Mark Reinhard Kotter

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Disease Severity ◽

Informal Care ◽

Cervical Myelopathy ◽

Informal Caregivers ◽

Simple Relationship ◽

Care Providers ◽

Demographic Groups ◽

Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy

BACKGROUND Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a common, chronic neurological condition that severely affects individuals by causing a range of disabling symptoms, frequently at a time around the peak of their careers. Subsequently, individuals with DCM often become dependent on informal care arrangements. The significant economic contribution of informal care and its burden on care providers are becoming increasingly recognized. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to measure the quality of life of DCM informal caregivers and provide preliminary insight into possible contributing factors. METHODS Carers of individuals with DCM completed a Web-based survey hosted by Myelopathy.org, an international DCM charity. Carer quality of life was assessed in the form of caregiver happiness and 7 dimensions of carer burden using the Care-Related Quality of Life (CarerQol) instrument. The relationships between patient disease severity, patient pain, and carer quality of life were investigated. Differences in carer quality of life were assessed across patient and carer demographic groups, including between UK and US carers. RESULTS DCM caregivers experienced substantial burden as a result of their caregiving (mean CarerQol-7D=64.1; 95% CI 58.8-69.5) and low happiness (mean CarerQol-VAS [Visual Analog Scale]=6.3; 95% CI 5.7-6.9). Burden was high and happiness was low in DCM carers when compared with a large, mixed-disease study of adult informal carers where CarerQol-7D was 79.1 and CarerQol-VAS was 7.1. No significant relationship was found between DCM carer quality of life and patient disease severity and pain scores. DCM carer quality of life appeared uniform across all patient and carer demographic groups. CONCLUSIONS Caring for individuals with DCM is associated with reduced quality of life in the form of significant burden and reduced happiness. Reductions appear greater in DCM than in other diseases investigated. However, no simple relationship was identified between individual patient or carer factors and carer quality of life.

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Machine learning algorithms for prediction of health-related quality-of-life after surgery for mild degenerative cervical myelopathy

The Spine Journal ◽

10.1016/j.spinee.2020.02.003 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Omar Khan ◽

Jetan H. Badhiwala ◽

Christopher D. Witiw ◽

Jefferson R. Wilson ◽

Michael G. Fehlings

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Machine Learning ◽

Cervical Myelopathy ◽

Learning Algorithms ◽

Machine Learning Algorithms ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy

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Change in Function, Pain and Quality of Life following Structured Nonoperative Treatment in Patients with Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: A Systematic Review

The Spine Journal ◽

10.1016/j.spinee.2016.07.078 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (10) ◽

pp. S174

Author(s):

Lindsay Tetreault ◽

Mohammed F. Shamji ◽

John M. Rhee ◽

Heidi Prather ◽

Brian K. Kwon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Cervical Myelopathy ◽

Nonoperative Treatment ◽

Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy

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Enhanced Dialog between Formal and Informal Caregivers: Following a User-centered Design for Personas' Development

10.21203/rs.3.rs-860699/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Annita Varella ◽

Ioanna Dratsiou ◽

Evangelia Romanopoulou ◽

Ourania Pinaka ◽

Evlampia Routa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Older Adults ◽

Job Stress ◽

Informal Caregivers ◽

User Preferences ◽

Target Group ◽

Ageing Population ◽

Care Providers ◽

Stress Scale

Abstract Background The unprecedented increase in ageing population in recent decades has led to a shift in the epidemiological profile of societies, resulting in an increased prevalence of chronic diseases, cognitive impairments, and sensory loss in older adults and their elevated reliance on both formal and informal caregiving. Caregivers hold a vital role in older adults’ healthcare, yet their health and well-being needs are often undermined. This paper ventures the exploration of both formal and informal caregivers’ profiles through the development of personas. Methods Formal caregivers (N = 71) and informal caregivers (N = 54) were recruited in the study participating both in quantitative surveys and ad-hoc interviews including the measures Job Stress Scale, Zarit Burden Interview, Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Persona Perception Scale. Results Upon the analysis of the Persona Perception Scale and Job Stress Scale, the findings revealed high reliability scores, designating that the formal caregiver persona ‘’Daphne’’ could adequately represent the actual target group. The results also showed that the informal caregiver persona ‘’Elle’’ was an accurate reflection of the corresponding target group, after analyzing the findings retrieved from quality of life measurements and caregivers’ burden. Conclusions User personas can enhance a deeper understanding of the target group and apprehend user preferences and experiences. To this end, personas can potentially provide empathetic and expansive benefits and be exploited as artifacts in attempting to successfully liaise with policy-makers and care providers in aligning key strategies and policies that will conclusively improve the quality of life of both care recipients and caregivers.

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The Impact of Older Age on Functional Recovery and Quality of Life Outcomes after Surgical Decompression for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: Results from an Ambispective, Propensity-Matched Analysis from the CSM-NA and CSM-I International, Multi-Center Studies

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm8101708 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (10) ◽

pp. 1708 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jamie R. F. Wilson ◽

Jetan H. Badhiwala ◽

Fan Jiang ◽

Jefferson R. Wilson ◽

Branko Kopjar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Cervical Myelopathy ◽

Neck Disability Index ◽

Older Age ◽

Functional Improvement ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy ◽

The Impact

Background: The effect on functional and quality of life (QOL) outcomes of surgery in elderly degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) patients has not been definitively established. Objective: To evaluate the effect of older age on the functional and QOL outcomes after surgery in an international, multi-center cohort of patients with DCM. Methods: 107 patients aged over 70 years old (mean 75.6 ± 4.4 years) were enrolled in the AOSpine CSM-North America and International studies. A propensity-matched cohort of 107 patients was generated from the remaining 650 adults aged <70 years old (mean 56.3 ± 9.6 years), matched to gender, complexity of surgery, co-morbidities, and baseline functional impairment (modified Japanese Orthopedic Association scale (mJOA). Functional, disability, and QOL outcomes were compared at baseline and at two years post-operatively, along with peri-operative adverse events. Results: Both cohorts were equivalently matched. At two years, both cohorts showed significant functional improvement from the baseline but the magnitude was greater in the younger cohort (mJOA 3.8 (3.2–4.4) vs. 2.6 (2.0–3.3); p = 0.007). This difference between groups was also observed in the SF-36 physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) outcomes (p = <0.001, p = 0.007), but not present in the neck disability index (NDI) scores (p = 0.094). Adverse events were non-significantly higher in the elderly cohort (22.4% vs. 15%; p = 0.161). Conclusions: Elderly patients showed an improvement in functional and QOL outcomes after surgery for DCM, but the magnitude of improvement was less when compared to the matched younger adult cohort. An age over 70 was not associated with an increased risk of adverse events.

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Impact of Depression and Bipolar Disorders on Functional and Quality of Life Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy

Spine ◽

10.1097/brs.0000000000001777 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 42 (6) ◽

pp. 372-378 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Lindsay Tetreault ◽

Narihito Nagoshi ◽

Hiroaki Nakashima ◽

Anoushka Singh ◽

Branko Kopjar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Cervical Myelopathy ◽

Bipolar Disorders ◽

Life Outcomes ◽

Quality Of Life Outcomes ◽

Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy

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Functional and Quality of Life Outcomes of Surgery for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: a Quality Improvement Study

Journal of Orthopedic and Spine Trauma ◽

10.18502/jost.v4i2.2956 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Babak Mirzashahi ◽

Pejman Mansouri ◽

Arvin Najafi ◽

Saeed Besharati ◽

Mohammad Taha Kouchakinejad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Cervical Myelopathy ◽

Short Form ◽

Sf 36 ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Vas Scores ◽

One Year ◽

Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy

Background: This study aimed to determine the outcome of surgical treatments in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). During one-year follow-up period, we evaluated patient-reported functional and quality of life (QOL) measures. Methods: In a retrospective single-center study, we collected data of patients with DCM who underwent cervical fusion surgeries in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from 2011 to 2015. Patients underwent single or multi-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF), or posterior laminectomy and fusion. We utilized patient-reported assessments including Short Form 36 (SF-36), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Nurick grade. Follow-up was performed at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months post-operatively to assess the outcome of surgery. Results: Ninety patients (56 men, 34 women) with a mean age of 54.1 (27-87) years were included. Comparison of pre- and post-operative scores showed significant improvement in SF-36 parameters, VAS, NDI, and Nurick grade (P < 0.001). Also, women’s VAS scores improved more than men's VAS scores during the follow-up period (P < 0.050). Age and type of surgery did not significantly affect the SF-36 parameters, VAS, NDI, and Nurick grade (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Cervical surgeries in patients with different severity of DCM can improve different aspects of QOL during one-year after surgery

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