SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “social functioning”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources

PubMed1998

The proxy problem: child report versus parent report in health-related quality of life research.

This study evaluates the agreement between child and parent reports on children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a representative sample of 1,105 Dutch children (age 8-11 years old). Both children and their parents completed a 56 item questionnaire (TACQOL). The questionnaire contains seven eight-item scales: physical complaints, motor functioning, autonomy, cognitive functioning, social functioning, positive emotions and negative emotions. The Pearson correlations between the child and parent reports were between 0.44 and 0.61 (p < 0.001). The intraclass correlations were between 0.39 and 0.62. On average, the children reported a significantly lower HRQoL than their parents on the physical complaints, motor functioning, autonomy, cognitive functioning and positive emotions scales (paired t-test: p < 0.05). Agreement on all of the scales was related to the magnitude of the HRQoL scores and to some background variables (gender, age, temporary illness and visiting a physician). According to multitrait-multimethod analyses, both the child and parent reports proved to be valid.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Self-care agency and quality of life among adults diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease.

Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often exhibit anxiety and depression, pain and reduced energy but may not adequately develop self-care agency (SCA) to manage IBD. The purpose of this study was to examine whether SCA is related to quality of life in adults diagnosed with IBD. The sample of 34 individuals for this descriptive, correlational study completed three questionnaires including the Appraisal of self-care agency scale (A.S.A.-A Scale), the Inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire and a Demographic data questionnaire. Results indicated SCA was unrelated to indicators of quality of life among IBD individuals. This finding may be attributed to the high level of functioning of the sample. However, IBD quality of life (emotional functioning, social functioning, and bowel and systemic symptoms) was negatively correlated with the number of medications individuals took and positively correlated with the number of diagnosed chronic illnesses.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Validation of the Restless Legs Syndrome Quality of Life Instrument (RLS-QLI): findings of a consortium of national experts and the RLS Foundation.

UNLABELLED: This study was designed to assess the initial psychometric properties of a new disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQL) measure, the Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Quality of Life Instrument (RLS-QLI). METHODS: Draft items were generated from a literature review, consultation with MD and PhD specialists in the fields of neurology and sleep medicine, and input from two patient focus groups. The initial item reduction was accomplished using a survey of 392 persons with self-reported RLS symptoms from the membership of the RLS Foundation. The final (independent) validation sample consisted of 574 of persons on the RLS Foundation's Interest Group List Serve who also reported having RLS. The mean age of participants was 54.5 (SD 12.3), with a sex ratio of 1M:2F, and the majority was on some form of medication for RLS (66%). RESULTS: Four factors were identified (Daily Function, Social Function, Sleep Quality, and Emotional Well-Being) consisting of 17 items that explained 73.3% of the total variance. Each scale had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha's between 0.85 and 0.91) and 2-week test retest stability (Pearson Correlations between 0.81 and 0.93). Convergent validity was demonstrated using related scales on the SF-36 (r = 0.47-0.60) and criterion-related validity was shown using the clinical IRLS Scale of Symptom Severity (r = -0.45 to -0.77). CONCLUSION: The RLS-QLI is a valid disease-specific HRQL instrument that will contribute to our understanding of how RLS impacts the lives of those affected with this CNS disorder.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

The relationship of changes in EORTC QLQ-C30 scores to ratings on the Subjective Significance Questionnaire in men with localized prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between changes in health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) on the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30), and patients' perceptions of HRQOL changes as measured by the Subjective Significance Questionnaire (SSQ). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 101 patients completed the QLQ-C30 on weeks 1, 4 and 7 of radical external-beam radiation therapy (RT) for localized cancer of the prostate. Patients rated their change in physical functioning, emotional functioning, social functioning, and overall/global quality of life (QOL) by completing a seven-category SSQ at weeks 4 and 7. The association between changes in the QLQ-C30 change and the corresponding SSQ ratings were determined by calculation of mean change scores for each SSQ category and by Spearman rank correlation coefficient analysis. RESULTS: Patients' completion of the QLQ-C30 and SSQ exceeded 95%. Statistically significant changes in fatigue, pain, appetite, diarrhea, and global QOL scores were detected during RT. For patients reporting 'a little' change in global QOL on the SSQ, absolute mean QLQ-C30 change scores ranged between 0 to 15 points with 12/16 mean change scores between 2.5 and 8.5 points. In the entire study sample, correlations between SSQ patient ratings and QLQ-C30 change scores were lower than previously reported, ranging between 0.15 and 0.24 for the four different domains, but were higher when QOL scores producing ceiling effects were omitted. CONCLUSION: The SSQ and QLQ-C30 may measure related concepts that could assist in the interpretation of changes in scores and in the calibration of the QLQ-C30. However, the nature of this relationship could not be elucidated in this data set because of a lack of variance in HRQOL scores in the study sample. Further investigation should be carried out in study samples with sufficient variance to allow more robust conclusions.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2006

The relationship between body mass index and health-related quality of life: comparing the EQ-5D, EuroQol VAS and SF-6D.

BACKGROUND: No other studies have compared the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) on more than one utility measure. Estimating the HRQL effects of obesity on a (common) utility scale enables the relative cost-effectiveness of interventions designed to alleviate obesity to be estimated. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between BMI and HRQL according to the EQ-5D, EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) and SF-6D. METHODS: Patients aged >/=45 years at one UK general practice were asked to complete the EQ-5D, EQ-VAS, SF-36 questionnaire (used to derive the SF-6D), and information on their characteristics and co-morbidity. Body mass index was categorized according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Regression analysis was used to compare the HRQL of normal BMI patients to the HRQL of patients in other BMI categories, while controlling for patient characteristics and co-morbidity. RESULTS: A total of 1865 patients responded (67%), mean BMI 26.0 kg/m(2), 16% obese (BMI>/=30). Patients with back pain, hip pain, knee pain, asthma, diabetes or osteoarthritis were also significantly more likely to be obese. After controlling for other factors, compared to normal BMI patients, obese patients had a lower HRQL according to the EQ-5D (P<0.01), EQ-VAS (P<0.001) and SF-6D (P<0.001). Pre-obese patients were not estimated to have a significantly lower HRQL, and underweight patients were only estimated to have a significantly lower HRQL according to the SF-6D. These results arose because, on the EQ-5D, obese patients were found to have significantly more problems with mobility and pain, compared to physical functioning, social functioning and role limitations on the SF-6D. Whereas, according to the SF-6D, underweight patients had significantly more problems on the dimension of role limitation. CONCLUSION: The EQ-5D, EQ-VAS and SF-6D were in agreement that, relative to a normal BMI, obesity is associated with a lower HRQL, even after controlling for patient characteristics and co-morbidity. These three measures are thereby sensitive to the HRQL effects of obesity and can be used to estimate the cost-effectiveness of interventions designed to alleviate obesity.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2001

Association between polysomnographic sleep measures and health-related quality of life in obstructive sleep apnea.

Many facets of health-related quality of life are diminished in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as they are in other chronic medical conditions. We speculated that impairment in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) might result from the fatigue and daytime somnolence associated with the sleep disorder, as an indirect result from the fragmentation of night-time sleep in OSA. Our hypothesis was that sleep fragmentation measures would correlate with poorer HRQoL measured by medical outcomes study (MOS) subscales. Thirty-nine patients with polysomnographically-confirmed OSA participated in this study. Pearson's correlations were performed with the following sleep architecture variables: wake after sleep onset, the total number of brief arousals, the number of respiratory-related arousals, the rate of respiratory events per hour, and total sleep time. To our surprise, although the total number of arousals was associated with health distress (r=-0.481, P < 0.005), it did not correlate with any other subscales indicating poorer physical and mental health. The relatively insensitive measure of total sleep time (TST) correlated in the expected direction with most subscales. However, after controlling for age and gender, respiratory disturbance indices (RDI) and/or number of arousals emerged as significantly associated with mobility, cognitive functioning, social functioning, energy and fatigue, and health distress. Our findings suggest that polysomnographic indicators of sleep quality and sleep continuity may be an important influence determining many aspects of HRQoL in OSA patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Prospective analysis of quality of life after reversal of a defunctioning loop ileostomy.

OBJECTIVE: To measure changes in patients' quality of life following reversal of a defunctioning ileostomy in patients who had a curative anterior resection for rectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients undergoing reversal of a loop ileostomy following low anterior resection for primary rectal cancer participated. They answered three quality of life questionnaires: the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR38, and the SF-36. Questionnaires were answered before reversal, on discharge home, and at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Reversal of the defunctioning ileostomy resulted in significant improvements in global quality of life, physical function, social function, role-physical and energy-vitality scores. Post-operative diarrhoea and frequency improved over six months, but one third of patients had mild incontinence of faeces which did not improve with time. Emotional function, mental health, future perspective, perception of body image and general health perception did not change significantly after reversal. There was a significant negative correlation between defaecation-related problems, global quality of life and body image. CONCLUSION: Reversal of a defunctioning loop ileostomy improves most patients' overall quality of life. Therefore, once it is considered safe to reverse a stoma, an early operation may give the patient a longer time with an improved quality of life.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Measuring quality of life among HIV-infected women using a culturally adapted questionnaire in Rakai district, Uganda.

To examine self-reported quality of life and health status of HIV-infected women and a comparison sample of HIV-uninfected women in rural Uganda, we culturally adapted a Lugandan version of the Medical Outcomes Survey-HIV (MOS-HIV). We administered a cross-sectional survey among 803 women (239 HIV-positive and 564 HIV-negative) enrolled in a community study to evaluate maternal and child health in Rakai District, Uganda. The interview took 20 minutes and was generally well-accepted. Reliability coefficients were >0.70, except for role functioning, energy and cognitive function. MOS-HIV scores for HIV-positive women were correlated with increasing number of physical symptoms and higher HIV viral load. Compared to HIV-negative women, HIV-positive women reported lower scores than HIV-negative women for general health perceptions, physical functioning, pain, energy, role functioning, social functioning, mental health and overall quality of life (p all <0.01). Substantial impairment was noted among women reporting >/=4 symptoms. In summary, HIV-positive women reported significantly poorer functioning and well-being than HIV-negative women. We conclude that patient-reported measures of health status and related concepts may provide a feasible, reliable and valid method to assess the impact of HIV/AIDS and future therapeutic interventions to improve patient outcomes in rural Africa.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Comparison of quality of life in patients undergoing abdominoperineal extirpation or anterior resection for rectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of life (QoL) in patients undergoing anterior resection (AR) or abdominoperineal extirpation (APE) for rectal cancer in a sample of patients recruited from a field trial. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Abdominoperineal resection has been reported to put patients at higher risk of disruption to QoL than sphincter-preserving surgery. METHODS: Fifty patients treated with AR and 23 patients treated with APE were prospectively followed up. All patients were treated in curative attempt and were disease-free throughout the study. QoL was assessed before surgery and 6 to 9 and 12 to 15 months after surgery. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis of variance and subsequent post hoc comparisons revealed a main effect for time (role function, emotional function, body image, future perspective, and micturition-related problems) and group in favor of APE (sleeping problems, constipation, diarrhea), and a time-by-group interaction (role function). No significant results were obtained for the remaining scores, but patients undergoing APE consistently had more favorable QoL scores than those undergoing AR. Multivariate analysis and post hoc comparisons revealed a particularly poor QoL for patients undergoing low AR. They had a significantly lower total QoL, role function, social function, body image, and future perspective, and more gastrointestinal and defecation-related symptoms than patients undergoing high AR. CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing APE do not have a poorer QoL than patients undergoing AR. Patients undergoing low AR have a lower QoL than those undergoing APE. Attention should be paid to QoL concerns expressed by patients undergoing low AR.

Abdomen↗

PubMed2001

Long-term quality of life outcomes in three antiretroviral treatment strategies for HIV-1 infection.

OBJECTIVE: To compare changes in quality of life (QoL) over 96 weeks in patients enrolled in a triple-therapy protocol, a treatment-intensification protocol, or an induction-maintenance therapy protocol, and to compare QoL between patients who continued and discontinued their antiretroviral regimen. PATIENTS: Naive patients enrolled in a triple-therapy protocol (zidovudine/lamivudine or stavudine/didanosine or stavudine/lamivudine supplemented with protease inhibitor therapy of choice) (n = 35), a protocol of treatment intensification (ritonavir/saquinavir or ritonavir/saquinavir/stavudine) (n = 74) in which therapy was intensified with nucleoside analogue(s) in cases of insufficient viral suppression, and a protocol of induction (saquinavir/nelfinavir/lamivudine/ stavudine) maintenance (saquinavir/nelfinavir or stavudine/nelfinavir) therapy (n = 50). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Changes from baseline in QoL assessed by the Medical Outcomes Study HIV Health Survey at weeks 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96. RESULTS: Patients in the triple-therapy and treatment-intensification protocols showed more favourable changes in physical function, social function, mental health, energy/fatigue, health distress and overall QoL compared to patients in the induction-maintenance protocol, with patients in the first two protocols showing improvements in QoL and those in the induction-maintenance protocol showing declining or unchanged QoL. Patients who discontinued study medication due to insufficient efficacy, toxicities or at their own request showed less favourable changes in QoL compared with patients who continued their regimen. The highest proportion of discontinuations was within the induction-maintenance protocol. CONCLUSION: Antiretroviral treatment strategies that are effective and tolerable have the potential to improve patients' QoL over 96 weeks.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Psychosocial predictors of physical performance in disabled individuals with chronic pain.

OBJECTIVES: First, to identify what physical performance differences existed between a group of disabled individuals with chronic pain and a control group of pain-free individuals with comparable disabilities; and second, to test a psychosocial model designed to evaluate which psychosocial constructs were predictive of performance in disabled individuals with chronic pain. DESIGN: Case-comparison study. SETTING: Ambulatory university laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: A community sample of 62 individuals with lower limb amputations or paraplegia, 31 with chronic pain and 31 pain-free. INTERVENTION: Standardized lifting and wheel-turning tasks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Static strength, endurance, lifting speed, lateral and anterior-posterior sway, and multidimensional psychosocial measures. RESULTS Disabled individuals with chronic pain had decreased endurance for both the lifting (p <0.001) and the wheel-turning (p <0.05) tasks. A psychosocial model of physical performance also was evaluated. Using confirmatory factor analysis, 31 measures were used to validate 8 theoretical constructs: emotional functioning, pain intensity, pain cognitions, physical functioning, social functioning, task-specific self-efficacy, performance outcome, and performance style. Regression analyses indicated that more than 90% of the variance in performance was predicted by psychosocial factors, with self-efficacy, perceived emotional and physical functioning, pain intensity, and pain cognitions showing the highest associations. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic pain was found to significantly reduce the performance in individuals with lower limb amputations and paraplegia. A strong association was found between performance and psychosocial factors in disabled individuals with chronic pain. These findings extend the existing literature by validating that psychosocial models of chronic pain can be applied to the disabled population, with results similar to those of other chronic pain samples.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1995

The construct validity of subjective quality of life for the severely mentally ill.

Subjective quality of life is the individual's rating of his or her satisfaction with various domains of everyday living. Given the similarity of this construct with anhedonia due to depression, efforts to establish its construct validity vis-a-vis other psychiatric variables must partial out the influence of depression on subjective quality of life. Forty-nine patients with severe mental illness completed an interview-based measure of quality of life and measures that represent psychiatric symptoms, including depression, social functioning, social support, and intelligence. Findings from a multiple regression analysis suggested that depression, social adjustment, size of the support network, and verbal intelligence are independently associated with quality of life. This suggests that quality of life is not redundant with the anhedonia common to depression. Findings about the multifaceted nature of quality of life have implications for understanding the effects of treatment programs on the construct.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Functional outcome and quality of life in patients with Type B ankle fractures: a two-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare a specific score designed for ankle fractures with a general quality-of-life instrument as an outcome measure, and to describe the two-year results for patients with Type B ankle fractures. DESIGN: Follow-up study. SETTING: Large teaching hospital, Sweden. PATIENTS: Fifty-three patients, aged nineteen to sixty-three years, treated operatively for Type B ankle fractures. Forty-one patients completed the follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Olerud Molander Ankle Score (OMA score), Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), and a visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: A significant correlation was found between the OMA score and SF-36 subscores for physical functioning, physical and emotional role function, social functioning, and bodily pain (p < 0.05). VAS for physical symptoms correlated with the OMA score and with all SF-36 subscores (p < 0.001). The mean OMA score was 84 (standard deviation = 22.5); 64 percent of patients scored 90 or more. Patients with an OMA score <90 more often had a B3-type fracture (p < 0.05) and more often considered themselves as not recovered compared with patients with an OMA score > or =90 (p < 0.001). Only thirteen patients (36 percent) reported a complete recovery. Sixteen patients (44 percent) had work-related problems and twenty-two (61 percent) had some problems with sport activities. The SF-36 subscores for physical functioning, physical and emotional role function, vitality, and mental health were lower compared with an average Swedish population (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the SF-36 Health Survey may be useful in measuring outcome after an ankle fracture, that disability, i.e., self-perceived limitations in everyday life, is common after B-type ankle fractures.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Reliability of an Arabic version of the RAND-36 Health Survey and its equivalence to the US-English version.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this research were to: (1) evaluate the reliability and equivalence of the Arabic and English versions of the RAND-36 Health Survey (RAND-36) in a sample of Saudi Arabian citizens; and (2) assess the health status of a sample of Saudi Arabian citizens using both the Arabic and English versions. METHODS: Both the Arabic and English versions of the survey were administered to a convenience sample of bilingual (English and Arabic) Saudi citizens (n = 415) at Saudi ARAMCO Company, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Internal consistency, equivalent-forms, and test-retest reliability were estimated for the eight multi-item scales in the Arabic and English versions. Mean scale scores were calculated for each version and compared with the general US populations. RESULTS: The median Cronbach's alphas for the Arabic RAND-36 in multiple subgroups exceeded 0.70 for every scale except one. Two of the English RAND-36 scales had median Cronbach's alphas that exceeded 0.70; the remainder exceeded 0.50. Two-week test-retest correlations were all statistically significant for both versions. Product-moment correlations to test the equivalence of the corresponding Arabic and English versions of the RAND-36 ranged from 0.73 to 0.92. Saudi citizens reported significantly higher vitality scores, but significantly lower physical functioning, social functioning, and general health perception scores than the general US population. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide support for the reliability and equivalence of the Arabic and English versions of the RAND-36. Additional studies need to be conducted in a representative sample of the general Saudi population to further assess the psychometric properties of the Arabic version.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Expectations regarding aging among older adults and physicians who care for older adults.

BACKGROUND: Understanding older adults' expectations regarding aging is important for both clinicians and policy-makers. OBJECTIVES: 1) To identify the content for a survey to measure expectations regarding aging; 2) to qualitatively compare older adults' and physicians' expectations regarding aging. SETTING: Three senior centers and one university-based internal medicine faculty practice. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-nine adults (mean age 78 years); 11 primary care clinicians (mean age 37 years). MEASUREMENTS: A facilitator conducted five focus groups of older adults and two of physicians using a standardized script designed to elicit expectations regarding aging. Qualitative analysis by two independent reviewers identified domains of expectations, with a 3rd reviewer used to resolve discrepancies. A corresponding coding scheme was applied to each line of the transcripts. Content and frequency of expectations regarding aging and beliefs regarding care seeking were examined and compared. RESULTS: Content analysis identified 26 domains of expectations regarding aging. Each of the seven most frequently mentioned domains of expectations was mentioned by at least 50% of participants. Of 760 unique statements coded, the most frequently described domains in both the older adult and physician groups were physical function, cognitive function, social function, pain, and sexual function. Older adults differed from physicians by describing five mental-health related domains: anxiety, emotional-well-being, happiness, sleep, and length of life/death. CONCLUSIONS: Using focus groups of older adults and physicians, we identified consistent content for a closed-ended patient-centered survey to measure expectations regarding aging. Further study should determine whether physicians address mental health aspects of aging valued by older persons.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Self-efficacy and self-reported functional status in coronary heart disease: a six-month prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: We examine prospectively the role of specific forms of self-efficacy in the physical and role function for patients with coronary heart disease after controlling for the effects of anxiety and depression. METHODS: A 6-month prospective cohort study was conducted after cardiac catheterization of 198 HMO members, demonstrating clinically significant coronary disease. Coronary disease severity was assessed through cardiac catheterization; physical function, role function, anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy were assessed through questionnaires. RESULTS: The Cardiac Self-Efficacy Scale had two factors (maintain function and control symptoms) with high internal consistency and good convergent and discriminant validity. In multiple regression models, the self-efficacy scales significantly predicted physical function, social function, and family function after controlling for baseline function, baseline anxiety, and other significant correlates. CONCLUSIONS: Self-efficacy to maintain function and to control symptoms helps predict the physical function and role function, after accounting for coronary disease severity, anxiety, and depression in patients with clinically significant coronary disease. Interventions to improve self-efficacy may have a broader applicability in the heart disease population than previously appreciated.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1995

Health outcome assessment before and after adult deformity surgery. A prospective study.

STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-five patients undergoing surgery for adult spinal deformity assessed their health status using a generic health outcome instrument before surgery and at an average of 2 years after surgery. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether adult spinal deformity surgery is a useful intervention when patients evaluate their own perception of health. The Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36, a validated generic health outcome assessment form, was used to measure patient's health status. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Surgery for adult scoliosis is technically demanding. No study that we are aware of uses a generic health outcome instrument in a prospective manner to compare patients' perception of their health after adult scoliosis surgery. The Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36 has been validated in multiple studies assessing other medical conditions and was found to be reliable, comprehensive, brief, and generic. METHODS: Sixty-eight adult patients undergoing surgery for adult spinal deformity were prospectively enrolled. Fifty-five patients were available to complete the Medical Outcomes Surgery Short Form-36 after surgery. The scores of the health profile were compared before and after surgery. The results of patients younger than 40 years were compared with those of patients older than 40 years. The results of patients younger than 40 years were compared with those of patients older than 40 years. The results of patients fused to more caudal end vertebral levels ((L4, L5)5) were compared with those who were fused to more cranial end vertebral levels. The results of patients without complications after surgery were compared with those of patients with complications after surgery. RESULTS: Average follow-up period was 22.5 months (minimum 12 months) in 82% of 68 patients. Statistically significant improvements were seen in postoperative scores for physical function, social function, bodily pain, and perceived health change. We found no significant differences in self-reported health function parameters related to age ( > 40 vs. < 40), end vertebral level of fusion, or presence of complications after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Applying a generic health outcome instrument to adult spinal deformity surgery shows that adult scoliosis surgery significantly improves patient self-reported health assessment and function. Beneficial results do not appear to deteriorate with age or more caudal end vertebral levels of fusion. Future studies combining disease-specific outcomes analysis and generic health surveys to assess end results of adult spinal deformity surgery will be useful.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Health outcome assessment before and after lumbar laminectomy for radiculopathy.

STUDY DESIGN: Forty-one patients undergoing lumbar laminectomy for radiculopathy resulting from herniated discs assessed their health status using a generic health outcome instrument (Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36) before surgery and at an average of 2 years after surgery. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether lumbar laminectomy for herniated nucleus pulposus is a useful intervention when patients evaluate their own perception of health. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 has been used in multiple studies assessing various medical conditions. It is brief, generic, and reliable. Although surgical treatment for radiculopathy by lumbar laminectomy has been shown to be successful using specific criteria for patient selection and an algorithmic approach, the authors are not aware of any study using a patient-based health outcome assessment to evaluate the results of this type of surgery. METHODS: Forty-one patients (82% completed follow-up evaluation; average follow-up period, 2.08 years) completed Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 before and after surgery. Scores from before and after surgery were compared. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements (P < 0.01) were seen in eight of the nine health scores comparing scores from before and after surgery at follow-up evaluation. These included physical function, social function, role function resulting from physical limitations, role function resulting from emotional limitations, mental health, vitality, pain, and perceived health change. No significant change was seen in the patients' health perception after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the patients' self-reported health outcomes after lumbar laminectomy correlate with the excellent results previously seen using physician-driven outcome measures in an appropriately selected population with radiculopathy. The excellent results shown here did not deteriorate with age (> 40 years compared with < 40 years) or with complications after surgery.

Case-Control Studies↗