The measuring the quality of life index within the palliative care patients
- VernacularTitle: Хөнгөвчлөх эмчилгээний өвчтөний амьдралын чанарын индекс
- Author:
Odontuya D
;
Enkhjargal E
- Publication Type:journal article
- Keywords:
index of quality life patients in palliative care pain scores
- From:Innovation
2013;7(1):32-37
- CountryMongolia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Palliative medicine deserved to improve quality of life of patients with advanced, incurable diseases. During last 13 years palliative care workers tried to palliate the pain, physical, psychological, spiritual symptoms of suffering, but they never measured the quality of life of palliative care patients. The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. 111 countries of the World established Country QOL Index. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of living, which is based primarily on income, should not be confused with quality of health services, which is based on medical supplies, equipment, quality of medicine, education level of health workers. Health related quality of life (HRQOL) is “The degree to which a person enjoys the important possibilities of his or her life”. Health related quality of life index not established for all medical specialties. Some tools for measuring quality of life established for diabetic patients (DQOL), cancer patients (Ca QOL), HIV patients (HIVQOL), and palliative care patients (Pa QOL). In Mongolia since 2000 started to talk about quality of services and in 2008 started program on quality of health services, but never provided study of health related quality of life of any patientTo provide the study of quality of life index within palliative care patients and compare quality of life index with pain score and score of other physical, psychological, spiritual suffering of palliative care patientsWe provided study of quality of life index within 60 palliative care patients by MISSOULA-VITAS®- 15 quality of life index, pain score by Wong Baker scale, symptoms of suffering by Anderson method, functional activities by Karnofsky performance scale, psychological problems by hospital anxiety scale23.3% of patients were up to 45 years old, 76.6 % were older 45. 70% of palliative care patients in our study were patients with cancer, 30% were palliative care patients with non cancer pathology. The mean Quality of life Index of total palliative care patients was 37.7. They had more common symptoms of suffering, like pain (90%), fatigue (83.3%), weight loss (83.3%), poor appetite (66.6%), thirst (66.6%), nausea (53.3%), constipation (60%)., depression (66.7%) and anxiety (70%). 56.6% of palliative care patients had spiritual suffering because of false hope, lost of meaning, relationship problems, and forgiveness. Increasing the score of symptoms of physical, psychological, spiritual and social suffering correlated to decreasing the quality of life index.We need to develop comprehensive palliative care to improve quality of life palliative care patients.
