Peer educator vs. respiratory therapist support: Which form of support better maintains health and functional outcomes following pulmonary rehabilitation?

Objective

This study examined if ongoing support delivered by telephone following pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) assisted chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients to maintain health outcomes.

Methods

Phase one (n = 79) compared post-rehabilitation telephone-based support delivered by peers compared to usual care (UC). The second phase (n = 168) compared post-rehabilitation support from peer educators, respiratory therapists (RT), or UC. Primary outcome variables were St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score and the six minute walk test (6MWT). Measures were obtained at baseline, immediately following PR, and six-months post PR.

Results

Six-month follow-up data for phase one was collected for 66 COPD patients (n = 35 peer support, n = 31 UC) and 142 for phase two (n = 42 peer support, n = 52 RT support, n = 48 UC). Per-protocol and intention to treat (ITT) analysis in both phases found no significant group by time differences for SGRQ or 6MWT.

Conclusion

Providing peer or RT support via telephone following PR was not more effective than UC for maintaining health outcomes.

Practice implications

There are concerns with using peers to provide ongoing support to COPD patients. Additionally, COPD patients require a higher level of care than telephone support can provide.     

Quality of life in psychogenic nonepileptic seizures

PURPOSE: Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs) are events that alter or seem to alter the neurologic function and, in their appearance, resemble epileptic seizures (ESs). In patients with ESs the psychological and medical aspects of epilepsy greatly influence the health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The relation between these factors and PNESs is not well established. In this study, we compared HRQOL in patients with PNESs with that of patients with ESs. METHODS: We evaluated 105 patients admitted to the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit of University Hospital between January 20, 2001, and January 20, 2002. Only patients with the definite diagnosis of ESs or PNESs were analyzed (n = 85). Patients completed an epilepsy-specific quality-of-life instrument (QOLIE-89), the Profile of Mood States (POMS), and Adverse Events Profile (AEP). We used t tests and regression analyses to contrast HRQOL in PNESs and ESs and to elucidate the main factors associated with HRQOL in patients with PNESs. RESULTS: In our sample, 45 patients had PNESs, and 40 had ESs. The overall HRQOL and scores on 13 of 19 QOLIE-89 subscales were significantly lower (i.e., worse) in PNES than in ES patients. AEP and scores on five of six POMS subscales also were worse in PNES patients than in ES patients. PNES versus ES diagnosis, POMS depression/dejection, and AEP were significant predictors of HRQOL, jointly explaining 65% variation in HRQOL. The lower HRQOL in PNESs versus ESs was in part explained by depression and AEP. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PNESs have a lower HRQOL and worse mood problems than do patients with ESs. This disadvantage is primarily due to depression and medication side effects, although these factors influence QOL in much the same way in PNES and ES patients. These baseline HRQOL data on patients with PNESs can be used to evaluate the effects of treatment in this patient population.     

A comparison of traditional and Rasch cut points for assessing clinically important change in health-related quality of life among patients with asthma

Background Patient-perceived change in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) domains has often been classified using a 15-point patient transition rating scale. However, traditional change levels of trivial ( − 1, 0, or 1), minimal (2, 3 or − 2, − 3), moderate (4, 5 or − 4, − 5) and large (6, 7 or − 6, − 7) on this scale have been arbitrarily defined and originally assumed that change related to an improvement was the same as that for a decline. Objective To compare traditional and Rasch partial credit model-derived cut points and the mean changes for each change categorization when assessing clinically important change in asthma-specific HRQoL. Methods Our sample included 396 asthmatic outpatients who completed bimonthly telephone interviews on the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire and transition rating items over 1 year of participation. We employed item response theory in a novel approach to identify cut points on domain-specific HRQoL change data and transition ratings. After determining natural cut points for minimal, moderate, and large differences on the transition rating anchor, we calculated mean changes under change categorizations for both improvements and declines for the two transition rating classification approaches. Results Although traditional and Rasch categorizations for small, moderate, and large changes slightly differed and displayed a lack of symmetry between improvements and declines, nearly all mean changes between classification approaches were comparable. Conclusions In this study, traditional transition rating cut points remain suitable to assess HRQoL clinical significance in outpatients with asthma. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the International Society for Quality of Life Research Symposium, June 29, 2004, in Boston, MA and at the International Society for Quality of Life Annual Meeting, October 20, 2005, in San Francisco, CA.     

Quality of Life in Indian Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Purpose of Study: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a multisystem disease with various extra-articular manifestations (EAMs). Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) issues are assuming increasing importance in chronic rheumatic diseases like RA. No data on QOL in RA is available from the Indian subcontinent. There is also a paucity of literature on the impact of EAMs on HRQOL in RA. The objective of this study was to address these lacunae. Methods: The study group comprised 81 patients with RA from a rheumatology clinic in India. Quality of life was estimated by the generic HRQOL measure: World Health Organization quality of life instrument (WHOQOL-Bref). Disease activity in RA was measured by calculating Disease Activity Score-28 (DAS28). Results: The mean HRQOL scores of the patients were 12.0±2.8, 13.2±2.7, 14.4±2.9 and 13.3±2.6 in the physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains of the WHOQOL-Bref respectively. Age, gender, disease duration, educational status, constitutional symptoms, rheumatoid factor positivity, erosions and deformities did not influence HRQOL. Disease activity had a negative influence on the physical and psychological domains. Patients with EAMs had significantly higher DAS28 scores compared to patients without EAMs. Even after adjustment for disease activity, patients with EAMs had lower HRQOL scores than patients without these features (statistically significant for physical domain). Conclusions: The physical domain of HRQOL is most affected in Indian patients with RA. Increasing disease activity and presence of EAMs worsens the quality of life.Address for correspondence: Rohini Handa, Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar 110029, New Delhi, India Phone:     

社区老年人健康相关生存质量危险因素病例对照分析

目的探讨社区老年人群健康相关生存质量的危险因素。方法应用SF-36生存质量量表对350名60岁以上老年人进行横断面调查,调查结果总分用受试者特征曲线(ROC曲线分析法)确定健康相关生存质量(HRQOL)最佳诊断参考值进行诊断。根据诊断结果,采用1∶3病例对照研究方法,进行单因素与多因素Logistic回归分析。结果⑴ROC分析结果,HRQOL正常诊断值290分,其敏感度80%,特异度70%;HRQOL正常人数270例,HRQOL异常人数80例。⑵经单因素筛选和多因素分析,在P=0.05水平,年龄在75岁以上(OR=2.910)、2周患病4次以上(OR=1.112)、肥胖(OR=2.156)、伴高血压(OR=4.124)、伴糖尿病(OR=3.251)、独居或寡居(OR=8.601)、家庭年收入5万元以下(OR=2.330)、医疗自费(OR=1.217)是生存质量异常的独立因素。结论针对危险因素,提供更高素质的社区健康服务,有效提高老年人身心健康与生存质量。     

Translation and validation of the arabic version of the revised 15‐item myasthenia gravis quality‐of‐life questionnaire

Introduction: We sought to translate, culturally adapt, and assess the Arabic version of the 15‐item myasthenia gravis quality‐of‐life revised scale (MGQOL15R). Methods: We assessed reliability with Cronbach α; reproducibility with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC); validity with Spearman correlations for myasthenia gravis (MG)‐specific activities of daily living (MG‐ADL), MG composite (MGC) score, and MG manual muscle test (MG‐MMT) and with MGQOL15R in patients with different disease severity through the Kruskal–Wallis test; and sensitivity to change with Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. Results: In 65 enrolled patients, the mean MGQOL15R score was 10.84 ± 8.11 (α = 0.94, ICC = 0.95). The correlation coefficients between MGQOL15R and MGC, MG‐ADL, and MG‐MMT scores were 0.75, 0.75, and 0.74, respectively (P < 0.001). MGQOL15R scores were significantly higher (worse) in patients with more severe disease at baseline and significantly lower (better) in improved patients at follow‐up. Discussion: The Arabic version of MGQOL15R is valid, reliable, stable, and sensitive to changes. Muscle Nerve 57 : 581–585, 2018     

Adult Right-Lobe Living Liver Donors: Quality of Life, Attitudes and Predictors of Donor Outcomes

To refine selection criteria for adult living liver donors and improve donor quality of care, risk factors for poor postdonation health-related quality of life (HRQOL) must be identified. This cross-sectional study examined donors who underwent a right hepatectomy at the University of Toronto between 2000 and 2007 (n = 143), and investigated predictors of (1) physical and mental health postdonation, as well as (2) willingness to participate in the donor process again. Participants completed a standardized HRQOL measure (SF-36) and measures of the pre- and postdonation process. Donor scores on the SF-36 physical and mental health indices were equivalent to, or greater than, population norms. Greater predonation concerns, a psychiatric diagnosis and a graduate degree were associated with lower mental health postdonation whereas older donors reported better mental health. The majority of donors (80%) stated they would donate again but those who perceived that their recipient engaged in risky health behaviors were more hesitant. Prospective donors with risk factors for lower postdonation satisfaction and mental health may require more extensive predonation counseling and postdonation psychosocial follow-up. Risk factors identified in this study should be prospectively evaluated in future research.     

Vascular access complications in long-term pediatric hemodialysis patients

Current data demonstrate pediatric patients who remain on hemodialysis (HD) therapy are more likely to be dialyzed via central venous catheters (CVCs) than arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) and fistulae (AVFs). We retrospectively compared complications and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) associated with different vascular access types at two large centers over a 1-year period. Patients included in the study were younger than 25 years of age, weighed >20 kg, and had received HD for at least 3 months. Thirty CVC patients and 21 AVG/AVF patients received a total of 2,393 and 3,506 HD treatments, respectively. The infectious complication rate was higher for CVC patients, who were hospitalized 3.7 days for each 100 HD treatments versus 0.2 days for AVG/AVF patients (p < 0.01). CVC patients also had a much higher rate of access revision, needing 2.7 hospital days every 100 HD treatments compared with 0.2 days for AVG/AVF patients (p < 0.01). HRQOL scores did not differ between groups. Thus, despite similar HRQOL, CVCs were associated with more complications and greater morbidity when compared with AVG/AVFs. These findings further emphasize the need to use AVG/AVFs as primary HD access for pediatric patients expected to receive a long course of maintenance HD.     

The prognostic value of health-related quality-of-life data in predicting survival in glioblastoma cancer patients: results from an international randomised phase III EORTC Brain Tumour and Radiation Oncology Groups, and NCIC Clinical Trials Group study

This is one of the few studies that have explored the value of baseline symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in predicting survival in brain cancer patients. Baseline HRQOL scores (from the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the Brain Cancer Module (BN 20)) were examined in 490 newly diagnosed glioblastoma cancer patients for the relationship with overall survival by using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Refined techniques as the bootstrap re-sampling procedure and the computation of C-indexes and R(2)-coefficients were used to try and validate the model. Classical analysis controlled for major clinical prognostic factors selected cognitive functioning (P=0.0001), global health status (P=0.0055) and social functioning (P<0.0001) as statistically significant prognostic factors of survival. However, several issues question the validity of these findings. C-indexes and R(2)-coefficients, which are measures of the predictive ability of the models, did not exhibit major improvements when adding selected or all HRQOL scores to clinical factors. While classical techniques lead to positive results, more refined analyses suggest that baseline HRQOL scores add relatively little to clinical factors to predict survival. These results may have implications for future use of HRQOL as a prognostic factor in cancer patients.     

Predicting health-related quality of life in dialysis patients: Factors related to negative outcome expectancies and social support

ObjectivesDialysis patients report a low health-related quality of life (HRQOL) due to high disease burden and far-reaching consequences of dialysis treatment. This study examined several cognitive-behavioral and social factors, with a focus on negative outcome expectancies, that might be relevant for HRQOL in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients treated with dialysis.MethodsPatients treated with hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis were recruited from Dutch hospitals and dialysis centers. Patients completed self-report questionnaires at baseline (n = 175) and six months follow-up (n = 130). Multiple regression analyses were performed.ResultsHigher scores on factors related to negative outcome expectancies at baseline, especially helplessness and worrying, and less perceived social support were significantly related to worse HRQOL six months later. When controlling for baseline HRQOL, besides sex and comorbidity, helplessness remained significantly predictive of worse HRQOL six months later, indicating that helplessness is associated with changes in HRQOL over time.ConclusionsNegative outcome expectancies and social support are relevant markers for HRQOL and/or changes in HRQOL over time.Practice implicationsNegative outcome expectancies could be prevented or diminished by enhanced treatment information, an improved patient-clinician relationship, and interventions that promote adaptive and realistic expectations. Additionally, increasing supportive social relationships could be a relevant treatment focus.