What is Quality of Life?

Abstract

Quality of life (QoL) is a ubiquitous concept that has different philosophical, political and health-related definitions. ● Health-related QoL (HRQoL) includes the physical, functional, social and emotional well-being of an individual. ● HRQoL is a patient-reported outcome usually measured with carefully designed and validated instruments such as questionnaires or semi-structured interview schedules. ● These assessments are increasingly important when evaluating the benefits and harms of new treatments being tested in clinical trials. ● They can also be used via touch screen technology to help monitor the impact of disease and its treatment on individual patients in the clinic.