Measuring quality of life in medicine.

Quality of life has emerged as an important outcome in evaluating medical care. With an increasing number of patients with chronic disease, it is necessary not only to assess an intervention regarding its ability to effect cures, but also regarding its ability to improve the quality of life. Self-administered patient questionnaires provide a reliable and valid means of assessing how patients respond to therapy. Basically, there are two types: specific and general questionnaires. Whereas general questionnaires give a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of life summarized in a global score, specific questionnaires are focused on a particular problem or patient group. Benefits and disadvantages of generic compared with specific questionnaires are discussed.