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Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in family members of cancer victims: results from a longitudinal intervention study in Norway and Sweden

Ringdal, GI ; Ringdal, K ; Jordhoy, MS ; Ahlner-Elmqvist, Marianne LU ; Jannert, Magnus LU and Kaasa, S (2004) In Palliative Medicine 18(2). p.108-120
Abstract
This study compared the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of family members of patients who participated in a program of palliative care (intervention family members) with those in conventional care (control family members). The HRQOL was measured by the short-form (SF-36) health survey questionnaire, including eight subscales. The longitudinal intervention study includes two sites: Trondheim, Norway and Malmo, Sweden. Our first hypothesis was that the HRQOL of the family members would deteriorate over time in the terminal phase and reach a low point a few months after the death of the patients, and thereafter gradually increase. This hypothesis was fully supported by the trajectories for the five scales, role limitation due to... (More)
This study compared the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of family members of patients who participated in a program of palliative care (intervention family members) with those in conventional care (control family members). The HRQOL was measured by the short-form (SF-36) health survey questionnaire, including eight subscales. The longitudinal intervention study includes two sites: Trondheim, Norway and Malmo, Sweden. Our first hypothesis was that the HRQOL of the family members would deteriorate over time in the terminal phase and reach a low point a few months after the death of the patients, and thereafter gradually increase. This hypothesis was fully supported by the trajectories for the five scales, role limitation due to physical problems, vitality, social functioning, role limitation due to emotional problems, and mental health; but only partially so for the remaining three scales, physical functioning, bodily pain, and general health perception. From a second hypothesis, we expected the trajectories of the HRQOL scale scores for the two groups to show an increasing difference over time in quality of life in favor of the intervention group. This was the case for two of the scales: role limitation due to emotional problems and mental health. Before we may reach a definitive conclusion on the effects of palliative care programs for the HRQOL of family members, we need further longitudinal intervention studies with large samples. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
cancer victims, questionnaire, short form (SF-36) health survey, randomized, longitudinal study, family members, health-related quality of life (HRQOL)
in
Palliative Medicine
volume
18
issue
2
pages
108 - 120
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • pmid:15046407
  • wos:000220254700005
  • scopus:1642348807
ISSN
1477-030X
DOI
10.1191/0269216304pm878oa
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fb1a57e9-b8be-43b9-acdd-d70b1ab5cdc6 (old id 899209)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:11:53
date last changed
2022-03-23 00:00:38
@article{fb1a57e9-b8be-43b9-acdd-d70b1ab5cdc6,
  abstract     = {{This study compared the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of family members of patients who participated in a program of palliative care (intervention family members) with those in conventional care (control family members). The HRQOL was measured by the short-form (SF-36) health survey questionnaire, including eight subscales. The longitudinal intervention study includes two sites: Trondheim, Norway and Malmo, Sweden. Our first hypothesis was that the HRQOL of the family members would deteriorate over time in the terminal phase and reach a low point a few months after the death of the patients, and thereafter gradually increase. This hypothesis was fully supported by the trajectories for the five scales, role limitation due to physical problems, vitality, social functioning, role limitation due to emotional problems, and mental health; but only partially so for the remaining three scales, physical functioning, bodily pain, and general health perception. From a second hypothesis, we expected the trajectories of the HRQOL scale scores for the two groups to show an increasing difference over time in quality of life in favor of the intervention group. This was the case for two of the scales: role limitation due to emotional problems and mental health. Before we may reach a definitive conclusion on the effects of palliative care programs for the HRQOL of family members, we need further longitudinal intervention studies with large samples.}},
  author       = {{Ringdal, GI and Ringdal, K and Jordhoy, MS and Ahlner-Elmqvist, Marianne and Jannert, Magnus and Kaasa, S}},
  issn         = {{1477-030X}},
  keywords     = {{cancer victims; questionnaire; short form (SF-36) health survey; randomized; longitudinal study; family members; health-related quality of life (HRQOL)}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{108--120}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Palliative Medicine}},
  title        = {{Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in family members of cancer victims: results from a longitudinal intervention study in Norway and Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/0269216304pm878oa}},
  doi          = {{10.1191/0269216304pm878oa}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}