Validation of Quality of Life Measures in older people with frailty
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Qualitative investigation into the validity and acceptability of the EQ-5D-5L, the SF-12, the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) and the ONS Personal Wellbeing questions (ONS-4) for measuring quality of life and wellbeing in older people experiencing frailty
IRAS ID
231380
Contact name
Hannah Penton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Sheffield
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 17 days
Research summary
In the economic evaluation of health services, benefits to patients are measured by the service’s impact on length of life and quality of life (QoL). QoL is measured using patient reported outcome measures which ask about aspects of QoL thought to be most important to the general population. Health resource allocation decisions are based partly on these estimates of QoL. Traditionally these QoL measures have focussed on health, with the EQ-5D measure of health related QoL the most commonly used in the UK.\n\nAgeing is associated with frailty, characterised by a gradual decline in health and an increasing number of health conditions, often requiring a mix of health and social care services. These services often have broader benefits beyond health, such as increased independence and dignity. These broader benefits may be missed by current measures of health related QoL. If they are missed they will not be accounted for in the evaluation of aged health and care services, which will be undervalued. This may mean the most cost-effective services for older people are not provided, which could be detrimental to the QoL of older people and the economic efficiency of health and social care budgets. \n\nTo effectively evaluate aged health and care services we need a measure of QoL which includes broader QoL and is valid, relevant and acceptable to older people experiencing frailty. This PhD will investigate the validity of the EQ-5D, the SF-12, the ONS-4 personal wellbeing questions and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) in older people with frailty. Interviews and focus groups will be used to ask older people experiencing varying levels of frailty their opinions on these measures, including the relevance of the questions, whether important aspects of QoL are missed and whether the questions are appropriate to ask of older people with frailty.\n
REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SW/0230
Date of REC Opinion
5 Dec 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion