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Suitability of quality-of-life outcome measures in palliative care in the South African setting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2015

Johanna E. Maree  and
Jacoba J.M. Jansen Van Rensburg
Johanna E. Maree*
Affiliation:
Department of Nursing Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
Jacoba J.M. Jansen Van Rensburg
Affiliation:
Adelaide Tambo School of Nursing Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Johanna E. Maree, Department of Nursing Education, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. E-Mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objective:

Quality of life (QoL) is a multidimensional, subjective, and highly individual phenomenon. The current study speaks to the QoL domains identified by palliative patients living in Africa. The need to identify these domains has been recognized but seemed to still be lacking. This study filled this knowledge gap by providing the domains and by giving directions in terms of the assessment of QoL in palliative patients living in resource-restricted communities in South Africa.

Method:

We followed a multi-method approach and conducted a literature review to identify and describe the multidimensional QoL instruments used in African palliative care. A secondary analysis design and open-coding method was employed to identify the domains influencing the QoL of palliative patients living in a resource-restricted South African community, after which we compared these domains to the domains assessed by the identified QoL instruments.

Results:

We found that two multidimensional QoL of life instruments—the Missoula–Vitas Quality of Life Index (MVQoLI) and the Functional Assessments of Chronic Illness Therapy–Palliative Care (FACIT–Pal)—have been used in African palliative care and have identified various domains, grouped as four themes: physical concerns, psychosocial issues, financial restraints, and existential issues. The patient-identified QoL domains were to a great extent not assessed by the MVQoLI and FACIT–Pal.

Significance of Results:

Our study highlights the complexity of QoL and QoL assessment. A more accurate representation of the QoL of palliative patients living in resource-restricted communities might be obtained by using individualized measures or exploring what QoL means to these patients and selecting QoL instruments accordingly.

Keywords

AfricaResource-poor settingsMultidimensional QoL instrumentsMissoula–Vitas Quality of Life Index (MVQoLI)Functional Assessments of Chronic Illness Therapy–Palliative Care (FACIT–Pal)
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 14 , Issue 2: Measurement Development in Palliative and Supportive Care , April 2016 , pp. 118 - 128
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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