Rech Soins Infirm. 2002 Sep; (70): 23-38.

[Concept of quality of life, results of studies of 13,000 subjects]

Dazord A.

SCRIPT INSERM, CHS St Jean de Dieu, 290 Route de Vienne, 69373 Lyon.

A questionnaire (Subjective Quality of Life Profile, or SQLP) was finalized at the end of the eighties by our team. It was endorsed and tested on more than 13,000 subjects recruited outside of any medical context, or suffering from any somatic or psychological pathologies. On a conceptual framework, the questionnaire takes into account the subject's history independent from the context of his/her personal objectives. It differentiates quality of life from health, and stresses its multi-factorial aspect. The questionnaire is made up of 28 "inevitable" items covering four domains: relational, somatic, contextual and psycho-affective, as well as a list of optional items. Two types of questions pertaining to history are applied to each item, as well as to the anticipated expectations. The results are of interest in the following domains: 1) To specify the demands and complaints of subjects afflicted with various illnesses, and comparing them with healthy subjects. 2) To demonstrate the impact of various factors on the quality of life. 3) To observe patients' development following long-term or difficult therapy. 4) To be able to compare (once the questionnaires are filled out by different contributors), the patient's responses to those of his family or caregiver. 5) To take into account the patients' illness in order to provide the most pertinent results. These illnesses are always higher in psychiatry (and in particular those suffering from addictions): and are an unfavorable prognoses. Once the patient improves clinically, their illness decreases. 6) Regarding associates whose illnesses are at a "normal" level, the illness does not prove to be more serious than in exposed situations (either medical or social). At the moment it seems that the evaluation of a patient's quality of life brings an enriching, clarification to the appreciation of traditional medicine. Avoiding a social "desirability" criteria, we believe the responses relative to the illnesses will provide the best indication of the subjects' quality of life.