Assessment of Quality of Life by Patients in Pain

描述（由研究者提供）：在美国，未经治疗的中度至重度疼痛的患病率可能高达25%。为了衡量治疗的有效性，在医院和卫生机构中，病人感知的结果指标变得越来越重要。问卷调查是目前从患者角度评估生活质量（QOL）的唯一工具。这项II期应用的目的是进一步开发一种计算机化的判断方法，而不是基于问卷形式，使卫生专业人员能够快速确定进入医院或诊所接受治疗的患者的感知生活质量。患者使用数值视觉模拟量表（NVAS），并调整计算机屏幕上的条形条长度，以表明对总体生活质量的满意或不满意，以及对20个变量中的每一个的生活质量。这种方法被称为“交互式计算机评定生活质量方法”（ICQOL）。用户主动创建一个代表健康状态、能量水平和家庭生活等变量的积极或消极显著性的配置文件。在第一年，该方法将在一组文化不同的患者中进行测试，这些患者被诊断为不同类型的疼痛。西班牙语版本也将进行测试。结果将与相同患者的绝对疼痛强度评分进行比较。在第2年，该方法将与常用的SF-36问卷进行比较，以确定两种方法的生活质量评分在硬膜外类固醇注射前后沿NVAS测量的疼痛缓解程度。这种新的评估方法的主要优点是：(a)获得了定量的区间尺度测量，(b)在其他项目的背景下给出了项目的评级，(c)可以动态调整评级，(d)数据收集和分析是高效和廉价的。建议的商业应用。商业目标是用计算机管理的方法取代纸笔调查，允许在其他变量的背景下对生活质量变量进行动态评级。该软件将适用于两个主要的计算机平台（Windows和Macintosh）。随着第三阶段的上市，世界各地的医生、疼痛诊所和医院将购买该计算机软件包。

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): The prevalence of untreated moderate to severe pain may be as high as 25% in the United States. In order to measure the effectiveness of treatment, outcome measures of patient perceptions have become increasingly important in hospital and health settings. Questionnaires are the only instruments presently used to assess Quality of Life (QOL) from the standpoint of the patient. The objective of this Phase II application is to further develop a computerized judgment method, not based on a questionnaire format, allowing health professionals to quickly determine perceived QOL of patients entering a hospital or clinic for treatment. Patients use numerical visual analogue scales (NVAS) and adjust the length of bars on the computer screen to indicate satisfaction or dissatisfaction with overall QOL and with QOL for each of 20 variables. The approach is referred to as the "Interactive Computer method for rating Quality of Life" (ICQOL). The user actively creates a profile representing the positive or negative salience of variables such as health status, energy level, and home life. In Year 1 the method will be tested with a culturally diverse group of patients diagnosed with different types of pain. A Spanish version will also be tested. Results will be compared with the same patients' ratings of absolute pain intensity along a NVAS. In Year 2 the method will be compared with the commonly used SF-36 questionnaire to determine how well scores of QOL from both methods track relief from pain, as measured along a NVAS, before and after epidural steroid injection. The main advantages of this new assessment method are (a) quantitative interval scale measures are obtained, (b) ratings of items are given in the context of other items, (c) dynamic adjustments in ratings are possible, and (d) data collection and analysis is efficient and inexpensive. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION. The commercial goal is to replace paper-and-pencil surveys with a computer-administered method that allows dynamic ratings of QOL variables considered in the context of other variables. The software will be available for the two major computer platforms (Windows & Macintosh). As marketed in Phase III, physicians, pain clinics and hospitals throughout the world will purchase the computer software package.