Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Disabil Rehabil. 2012;34(13):1131-9. doi: 10.3109/09638288.2011.632467. Epub 2011 Nov 23.
To examine the constructs of quality of life (QoL) as applied to whiplash associated disorder (WAD), its current state of measurement and suggestions for future application.
Narrative literature review.
The burden of WAD on the healthcare system is substantive. Assessment of QoL issues for people with WAD may provide a broader understanding of the patient experience. No consistent framework for QoL in WAD has been adopted, nor has preference for any QoL instrument been established. Inconsistent use of terminology for what is being measured, and the measures themselves hamper clarity on the issue. Options for assessing QoL currently include a meaningful condition-specific scale that has not undergone sufficient psychometric evaluation (Whiplash Disability Questionnaire (WDQ), or generic scales with strong psychometric properties that have not undergone sufficient relevancy evaluation (e.g. SF-36, WHOQOL BREF). Generic measures can measure overlapping constructs including heath status, utility, health-related quality of life or generic QoL. The inter-relationships between these in WAD have not been defined.
Given the impact of WAD on QoL, additional clarity on tools and approaches are needed. There is a need for research on the relevance and clinical measurement properties of available condition-specific and generic tools to define a preferred measurement approach in WAD.
探讨适用于颈扭伤相关障碍（WAD）的生活质量（QoL）的构建，其当前的测量状态以及未来应用的建议。
叙述性文献综述。
WAD 给医疗系统带来了实质性的负担。评估 WAD 患者的 QoL 问题可能会更全面地了解患者的体验。目前尚未采用 WAD 中 QoL 的一致框架，也没有确定任何 QoL 工具的偏好。用于测量的术语和措施本身不一致，妨碍了对此问题的明确性。目前评估 QoL 的选择包括尚未经过充分心理测量评估的有意义的特定于疾病的量表（颈扭伤残疾问卷（WDQ）），或具有很强的心理测量特性但尚未经过充分相关性评估的通用量表（例如 SF-36、WHOQOL BREF）。通用量表可以测量重叠的结构，包括健康状况、效用、健康相关生活质量或通用 QoL。这些在 WAD 中的相互关系尚未定义。
鉴于 WAD 对 QoL 的影响，需要进一步明确工具和方法。需要对现有特定于疾病和通用工具的相关性和临床测量特性进行研究，以确定 WAD 中首选的测量方法。
