Measuring and valuing quality of life when health states fluctuate
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Accounting for the impact of fluctuating health states on quality of life measures included in economic evaluation
IRAS ID
237141
Contact name
Sabina Sanghera
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 8 months, 30 days
Research summary
This research aims to discover better ways to understand the quality of life of people undergoing chemotherapy to improve patient care and use of resources.
Chemotherapy can treat cancer or help with symptoms, but it also causes major side effects. During each chemotherapy cycle, which has a treatment and rest period so the body can get better, quality of life is always changing. To decide which treatment gives the best value for money for the NHS, information on quality of life, and cost is considered. However, some quality of life questionnaires may not be useful when symptoms change a lot. If the questionnaires and methods used are not right, the best treatments might not be used.
This NIHR funded research will determine how, when, and how often to ask about quality of life during treatment to get meaningful results.
Adult patients having chemotherapy for any cancer will be recruited at the Bristol Cancer Institute, University Hospitals Bristol for one of the following:
1.To attend one interview asking them to ‘think-aloud’ as they answer three quality of life questionnaires. Such questionnaires ask the patient to recall how they have been during particular periods, such as today, and over the last month. This is to understand how patients with changing symptoms complete these questionnaires.
2. To complete two questionnaires daily during one cycle of chemotherapy to see the full effect of treatment on quality of life.
3. To complete questionnaires with either the standard or an amended recall period to see which gives more accurate responses.
The different ways to use a series of questionnaire responses to create the standard measurement outcome, the quality-adjusted life year, will also be explored. This is to see which approach is best for patients with changing symptoms.
REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/SW/0093
Date of REC Opinion
8 Jun 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion