Feasibility of a standardised quality of life questionnaire in a weekly diary format for inoperable lung cancer patients

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies testing quality of life assessment (QoL) in routine oncology clinical practice have been based at single institutions and many have utilised touch-screen computer technology. The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of a low-tech QoL diary that could be held by the patient and shared with professionals across the health care setting. METHODS: The EORTC-QLQ-C30 and LC13 were used and adapted into an A5 diary format. Patients were instructed to complete the questions each week at home and to share the information with any health professional involved in their care. Feasibility of the diary format was examined through assessment of compliance, utilisation and satisfaction using a mixed methods approach. RESULTS: Diary completion rates were good; however, utilisation of the diary was poor, with only 23% (13/57) of patients stating explicitly that they had shared the diary with a health professional. Patients were generally satisfied with the diary format; however, qualitative analysis did identify some negative effects of diary completion. CONCLUSIONS: A patient-held QoL diary is feasible for a proportion of palliative care patients but the importance of training and support for patients and staff cannot be underestimated when implementing a new tool into clinical practice.