Quality of life

Authors:Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer, Prof. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles

All authors of this article

Last updated on: 14.01.2021

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Synonym(s)

DLQI; health related life quality; HRLQ; HRQL; Life satisfaction; LQ

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DefinitionThis section has been translated automatically.

Quality of life (QoL) is the physical, psychological and social well-being of an individual (WHO definition of 1949). QoL in this context does not so much include "the objective availability of material and immaterial things", but the degree to which a desired state of physical, psychological and social well-being is actually achieved. QoL can only be measured by a self-assessment of the patient. Standardised questionnaires are suitable for this purpose, which are filled out by the patient himself (self-assessment) or by examiners or family members (external assessment, "proxy survey"). QL should be a target criterion in dermatological therapy studies and should be considered in addition to somatic and, if necessary, economic parameters.

General informationThis section has been translated automatically.

The validated instruments listed below are available for the assessment of QoL in dermatology:

  • Adults:
    • Cardiff Acne Disability Index (Motley, 1992).
    • Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) (Finlay, 1994)
    • Dermatology-specific Quality of Life Instrument (Anderson, 1997)
    • Eczema Disability Index (Salek, 1993)
    • Freiburg Quality of Life Assessment (Augustin, 1997 and 2000)
    • Hyperhidrosis Impact Questionnaire (HHIQ) (Lonsdale-Eccles)
    • Quality of Life Questionnaire for Arterial Occlusive Disease-86 (Bullinger, 1996)
    • Marburg Skin Questionnaire (Stangier, 1996)
    • Psoriasis Disability Index (Finlay, 1987)
    • Tübingen Questionnaire for Measuring the QoL of CVI Patients (Klyscz, 1998)
    • Quality of Life Index for Atopic Dermatitis (QoLIAD) (Whalley et al., 2004).
  • Children:
    • Children Dermatology Life Quality Index (Lewis-Jones, 1995).
    • Pediatric Symptom Checklist (Rauch, 1991).

Note(s)This section has been translated automatically.

Maximizing the quality of life in old age is one of several anti-aging goals.

LiteratureThis section has been translated automatically.

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  2. Augustin M et al (1997) Development and validation of a disease-specific questionnaire on the quality of life of patients with chronic venous insufficiency. VASA 26: 291-301
  3. Augustin M et al (1999) Quality of Life in Skin Diseases: Comparison of different quality of life questionnaires in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. dermatologist 50: 715-722
  4. Finlay AY et al (1992) Dermatology life quality index (DLQI) - a simple practical measure for routine clinical use. Clin Exp Dermatol 19: 210-216
  5. Klyscz T et al (1998) Quality of life in chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Results of a study using the newly developed Tübingen questionnaire for measuring the quality of life of CVI patients (TLQ-CVI). Dermatologist 49: 372-381
  6. Kupfer J et al (2002) Diagnostic test procedures for dermatology. Hogrefe, Göttingen
  7. Lange S et al (2000) Predictors of the Quality of Life in Patient with Atopic Dermatitis. Dermatol Psychosome 1: 66-70
  8. Lewis-Jones MS, Finlay AY (1995) The Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI): initial validation and practical use. Br J Dermatol 132: 942-949
  9. Lonsdale-Eccles A et al.(2003) Axillary hyperhidrosis:eccrine or apocrine? Clin Exp Dermatol 28: 2-7
  10. Salek MS (1993) Measuring the quality of life patients with skin disease. In: Walker SR, Rosser RM (eds.) Quality of Life Assessment; Key Issues in the 1990s. Kluwer Academic, Lancaster, S. 355-370
  11. Schurer NY (2003) Anti-aging. Facts and visions. dermatologist 54: 833-888
  12. Schäfer T et al (2001) Development of the German Instrument for Quality of Life Assessment in Skin Diseases (DIELH). Dermatologist 52: 492-498
  13. Stangier U et al (1996) Questionnaire for the management of skin diseases (FBH). Manual. Hogrefe Publishing House, Göttingen
  14. Whalley D et al (2004) A new instrument for assessing quality of life in atopic dermatitis: international development of the Quality of Life Index for Atopic Dermatitis (QoLIAD). Br J Dermatol 150: 274-283

Authors

Last updated on: 14.01.2021

Authors: Prof. Dr. med. Peter AltmeyerProf. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles