Quality of Life in Cancer Patients

Abstract

Emphasis has been placed recently on understanding quality of life from the patient's perspective. The development of a valid and reliable tool can guide care givers in providing meaningful quality-of-life care. The HQLI provides patients the opportunity to express beliefs about quality-of-life issues and to maintain direction over a critical aspect of their care. Of note from this study, the significant difference between groups in functional well-being and minimal difference in social/spiritual well-being suggest that patients are able to appraise their functional abilities realistically and still maintain their social network and spiritual beliefs. Indeed, it may be that patients give family relationships and spiritual beliefs greater focus during a terminal illness.