[Quality of life--demands and reality as a medical parameter versus quality of life as individual reality].

Quality of life (QL) is a term, whose definition extends beyond scientific methods. Even the most accurate description will only be able to represent a part of the reality due to the proviso of only a limited view. For that reason the abandonment of this term, described as "utopical" and "principally remaining in dissent", was called for. This could be countered by the possibilities to use QL as a therapeutic aim, as well as an aid towards finding an individual indication. Alone the demand staged by QL, to take the individuality seriously, and to be the motor for patient oriented medicine, make this term valuable. The definition itself will remain a called instruments have been developed and tuned, their evaluation has not yet been concluded. The acceptance of QL-registration within clinical studies is low, since the individual integration of values compared to the biometric difficulties can hardly be generalized. The aims of QL-research are: the individual focus on the field of projection of QL; a motivation-oriented mode of record; the involvement of QL-registration in form of information and accompaniment; adequate modular techniques including dialogical methods (nondirective interviews); the establishment of a QL-anamnesis towards an extension of the clinical picture; the observance of a possible conflict of roles, the danger of linguistic inaccuracies and misunderstandings, the consideration of a person's privacy.