Model System:

SCI

Reference Type:

JA

Accession No.:

J63069

Journal:


Quality of Life Research

Year, Volume, Issue, Page(s):

, 20, 10, 1617-1727

Publication Website:

Abstract:

Study examined the extent to which the concept and domains of participation as defined in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) are represented in general cancer-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instruments. Using the ICF linking rules, two coders independently extracted the meaningful concepts of ten instruments and linked these to ICF codes. The proportion of concepts that could be linked to ICF codes ranged from 68 to 95 percent. Although all instruments contained concepts linked to Participation, the instruments covered only a small part of all available ICF codes. The proportion of ICF codes in the instruments that were participation related ranged from 3 to 35 percent. “Major life areas” was the most frequently used Participation chapter, with “remunerative employment” as the most used ICF code. Findings suggest that general cancer-specific HRQOL instruments only assess social life of cancer patients to a limited degree. This study’s information on the content of these instruments may guide researchers in selecting the appropriate instrument for a specific research purpose.

Author(s):


van der Mei, S, Dijkers, M, Heerkens, Y

Participating Centers: