Validity of the Quality of Well-Being Scale for persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection. HNRC Group. HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center

Cost-effectiveness analysis of surgical lung volume reduction compared with endobronchial valve treatment in patients with severe emphysema

BACKGROUND

Lung volume reduction, either by surgery or bronchoscopically by endobronchial valve treatment have been shown to be a cost-effective alternative compared with conservative therapy. However, there is no comparative analysis of lung volume reduction by surgery and bronchoscopic lung volume reduction using endobronchial valves.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this retrospective study was to provide a cost-effectiveness analysis of lung volume reduction by surgery compared with bronchoscopic lung volume reduction using endobronchial valves.

METHODS

The effectiveness of lung volume reduction was assessed using forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), residual volume (RV) and 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), measured at baseline and at 4 to 12 weeks. Cost unit accounting derived from SwissDRG was used as a surrogate of the costs from the payer's perspective.

RESULTS

In total, 67 patients (37 men and 30 women) with a mean age of 68.3 ± 7.4 years were included. Both clinical effectiveness and costs were comparable between surgical and bronchoscopic lung reduction. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for bronchoscopic compared with lung volume reduction by surgery for FEV1, RV and 6MWD were -101, 4 and 58, respectively. For RV and 6MWD, it could be shown that endobronchial valve treatment is justified as a probably cost-effective alternative to lung volume reduction by surgery. Endobronchial valve treatment resulted in an improvement of 0.25 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and an ICER of € 7657 per QALY gained.

CONCLUSION

A robust statement on the superiority of one of the two procedures in terms of cost-effectiveness cannot be made from the present study. Therefore, the study is not suitable for resource allocation. Two upcoming trials comparing lung volume reduction surgery and endobronchial valve treatment may be able to answer this question.

Health-Related Quality of Life Measurement in Public Health

Patient-reported outcomes are recognized as essential for the evaluation of medical and public health interventions. Over the last 50 years, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) research has grown exponentially from 0 to more than 17,000 papers published annually. We provide an overview of generic HRQoL measures used widely in epidemiological studies, health services research, population studies, and randomized clinical trials [e.g., Medical Outcomes Study SF-36 and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS^®)-29]. In addition, we review methods used for economic analysis and calculation of the quality-adjusted life year (QALY). These include the EQ-5D, the Health Utilities Index (HUI), the self-administered Quality of Well-being Scale (QWB-SA), and the Health and Activities Limitation Index (HALex). Furthermore, we consider hybrid measures such as the SF-6D and the PROMIS-Preference (PROPr). The plethora of HRQoL measures has impeded cumulative science because incomparable measures have been used in different studies. Linking among different measures and consensus on standard HRQoL measurement should now be prioritized. In addition, enabling widespread access to common measures is necessary to accelerate future progress. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 43 is April 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

The age-related trajectory of visual attention neural function is altered in adults living with HIV: A cross-sectional MEG study

Background

Despite living a normal lifespan, at least 35% of persons with HIV (PWH) in resource-rich countries develop HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). This high prevalence of cognitive decline may reflect accelerated ageing in PWH, but the evidence supporting an altered ageing phenotype in PWH has been mixed.

Methods

We examined the impact of ageing on the orienting of visual attention in PWH using dynamic functional mapping with magnetoencephalography (MEG) in 173 participants age 22–72 years-old (94 uninfected controls, 51 cognitively-unimpaired PWH, and 28 with HAND). All MEG data were imaged using a state-of-the-art beamforming approach and neural oscillatory responses during attentional orienting were examined for ageing, HIV, and cognitive status effects.

Findings

All participants responded slower during trials that required attentional reorienting. Our functional mapping results revealed HIV-by-age interactions in left prefrontal theta activity, alpha oscillations in the left parietal, right cuneus, and right frontal eye-fields, and left dorsolateral prefrontal beta activity (p<.005). Critically, within PWH, we observed a cognitive status-by-age interaction, which revealed that ageing impacted the oscillatory gamma activity serving attentional reorienting differently in cognitively-normal PWH relative to those with HAND in the left temporoparietal, inferior frontal gyrus, and right prefrontal cortices (p<.005).

Interpretation

This study provides key evidence supporting altered ageing trajectories across vital attention circuitry in PWH, and further suggests that those with HAND exhibit unique age-related changes in the oscillatory dynamics serving attention function. Additionally, our neural findings suggest that age-related changes in PWH may serve a compensatory function.

Funding

National Institutes of Health, USA.

Frailty and Neurocognitive Impairment: Impacts on Quality of Life in HIV

Little is known about the effects of aging-related conditions on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among people living with HIV (PLWH). The purpose of our study was to examine the independent effects of neurocognitive impairment (NCI) and frailty and the interactive effects with HIV serostatus on HRQOL. Our sample consisted of 121 adults (63 PLWH and 58 HIV-uninfected) participating in the Multi-Dimensional Successful Aging among HIV-Infected Adults study at the University of California, San Diego. HRQOL was measured with the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey scale. We found that frailty was significantly associated with HRQOL (p < .001) in the overall sample, and this effect was significantly stronger for PLWH than HIV-uninfected adults. NCI was not significantly associated with HRQOL in our sample. Frailty may be a particularly important factor in HRQOL for PLWH, highlighting the need for prevention and intervention strategies to mitigate the risks for frailty.

Health-related quality of life among Mexican-origin Latinos: the role of immigration legal status

OBJECTIVE

To assess the relationship between immigration legal status and related vulnerabilities and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among Mexican-origin Latinos living in a U.S.-Mexico border region.

METHODS

Data were obtained using multistage sampling from 393 Latino adults who took part in the 2009 San Diego Prevention Research Center community survey.

RESULTS

Significant differences in HRQoL were found across immigration legal status subgroups. Vulnerabilities associated with HRQoL varied across immigration legal status subgroups, and only depression was associated with HRQoL regardless of immigration legal status.

CONCLUSION

Results from this study emphasize the need for policies and programs to facilitate access to preventive services, including mental health services, in order to maintain the health of at-risk Latino immigrants.

Quality of life of people living with HIV compared with that of the general population in Japan

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of people living with HIV (PLWH) in Japan.

METHODS

A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted between June and December 2016 on PLWH. HRQOL was assessed using the Japanese version of the Short Form-36 Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36), and the three-component model of SF-36 scores was used. The values from the present study were compared with the published general Japanese values. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify the independent factors associated with the HRQOL of PLWH.

RESULTS

A total of 151 PLWH were enrolled in the present study. Six out of the eight subscales were significantly lower than the normative data. With respect to the summary scores, compared with those in the general population, the physical component summary score (PCS) was significantly higher in PLWH, although the mental and social/role component summary scores (MCS and RCS, respectively) were lower. Older Age was independently related to lower PCS; formal employment and higher CD4 counts were independently related to higher PCS. The factor associated with lower MCS was taking psychoactive drug(s). Formal employment was independently associated with higher RCS; taking psychoactive drug(s) was independently associated with lower RCS.

CONCLUSIONS

The physical HRQOL of PLWH was slightly higher; however, the mental and social/role HRQOL were slightly lower than in the general population in Japan.

Cost-Effectiveness of the Hepatitis C Self-Management Program

BACKGROUND

Despite the emergence of new hepatitis C virus (HCV) antiviral medications, many people with chronic HCV know little about their disease, are at risk for transmitting HCV to others, and/or are not considered good treatment candidates. Self-management interventions can educate HCV-infected persons, improve their quality of life, and prepare them for treatment.

PURPOSE

A cost-effectiveness analysis of the HCV Self-Management Program is presented.

METHOD

Effectiveness data in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were derived from the previously published prospective, randomized controlled trial ( n = 134). Health care utilization was abstracted from medical records in 2011 for the 12 months before and after study enrollment. Intervention costs were tracked from the payer's perspective and combined with health care costs. Sensitivity analyses were used to examine assumptions. Data were analyzed in 2014.

RESULTS

Estimated intervention costs including organizational overhead were $1,760 per 6-week workshop, or $229/person. Health care costs were $815 lower/person for self-management participants, resulting in a cost savings of $586/person. Self-management participants had an average net gain of 0.02975 QALYs after 1 year. When removing inpatient substance use treatment days from analyses, costs were similar between groups, producing an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $6,218/QALY. Sensitivity analyses showed that the results and conclusions change little when assumptions were varied.

CONCLUSIONS

When compared to information-only, the HCV Self-Management Program led to more QALYs and cost savings in the randomized controlled trial. Independent of health care costs, the intervention is low-cost and educates HCV-infected individuals about antiviral treatment and avoiding viral transmission. Low-cost interventions that can enhance the outcomes derived from expensive antiviral treatments should be studied further.

Does age modify the cost-effectiveness of community-based physical activity interventions?

BACKGROUND

Community-based efforts to promote physical activity (PA) in adults have been found to be cost-effective in general, but it is unknown if this is true in middle-age specifically. Age group-specific economic evaluations could help inform the design and delivery of better and more tailored PA promotion.

METHODS

A Markov model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness (CE) of 7 exemplar community-level interventions to promote PA recommended by the Guide to Community Preventive Services, over a 20-year horizon. The CE of these interventions in 25- to 64-year-old adults was compared with their CE in middle-aged adults, aged 50 to 64 years. The robustness of the results was examined through sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS

Cost/QALY (quality-adjusted life year) of the evaluated interventions in 25- to 64-year-olds ranged from $42,456/QALY to $145,868/QALY. Interventions were more cost-effective in middle-aged adults, with CE ratios 38% to 47% lower than in 25- to 64-year-old adults. Sensitivity analyses showed greater than a 90% probability that the true CE of 4 of the 7 interventions was below $125,000/QALY in adults aged 50 to 64 years.

CONCLUSION

The exemplar PA promotion interventions evaluated appeared to be especially cost-effective for middle-aged adults. Prioritizing such efforts to this age group is a good use of societal resources.

Quality of well-being outcomes in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial

BACKGROUND

Surgical and medical treatments for emphysema may affect both quality and quantity of life. The purpose of this article is to report outcomes from the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) using an index that combines quality and quantity of life.

METHODS

This was a prospective randomized clinical trial. Following pulmonary rehabilitation, 1,218 patients with severe emphysema were randomly assigned to maximal medical therapy or to lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS). A generic quality-of-life measure, known as the Quality of Well-being Scale (QWB), was administered at baseline and again at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 months following treatment assignment.

RESULTS

At baseline, QWB scores were comparable for the Medical and LVRS groups. For both groups, scores significantly improved following the rehabilitation program. The QWB scores before death for patients in the LVRS group improved up to the year 2 visit, whereas scores for the Medical group dropped significantly following the baseline visit. Imputing zeros (0) for death, QWB scores decreased significantly for both groups. With or without scoring death as 0, the LVRS group achieved better outcomes, and the significant differences were maintained until the sixth year. Over 6 years of follow-up, LVRS produced an average of 0.30 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), or the equivalent of about 3.6 months of well life.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with maximal medical therapy alone, patients undergoing maximal medical therapy plus LVRS experienced improved health-related quality of life and gained more QALYs.

TRIAL REGISTRY

ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00000606; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

What determines health-related quality of life among people living with HIV: an updated review of the literature

BACKGROUND

As infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has evolved to a chronic disease, perceived health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is becoming a prominent and important patient-reported outcome measure in HIV care. Literature discusses different factors influencing HRQoL in this population, however, currently no consensus exists about the main determinants. In this review a clear, up-to-date overview of the determinants influencing HRQOL among people living with HIV is provided.

METHODS

All studies published before July 2013 that identified determinants of HRQoL among people living with HIV in high-income countries, were considered in this narrative review. PubMed, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library were consulted using the keywords 'determinants', 'quality of life', 'HIV' and 'AIDS'. To be included, studies should have reported overall health and/or physical/mental health scores on a validated instrument and performed multivariable regression analyses to identify determinants that independently influence perceived HRQoL.

RESULTS

In total, 49 studies were included for further analysis and they used a variety of HRQoL instruments: Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 or variants, Medical Outcomes Study-HIV, HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study measure, Multidimensional Quality of Life Questionnaire, HIV targeted quality of life instrument, Functional Assessment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection, HIV Overview of Problems Evaluation System, EuroQol, Fanning Quality of Life scale, Health Index and PROQOL-HIV. In this review, the discussed determinants were thematically divided into socio-demographic, clinical, psychological and behavioural factors. Employment, immunological status, presence of symptoms, depression, social support and adherence to antiretroviral therapy were most frequently and consistently reported to be associated with HRQoL among people living with HIV.

CONCLUSIONS

HRQoL among people living with HIV is influenced by several determinants. These determinants independently, but simultaneously impact perceived HRQoL. Most HRQoL instruments do not capture all key determinants. We recommend that the choice for an instrument should depend on the purpose of the HRQoL assessment.

Multimodal neuroimaging evidence of alterations in cortical structure and function in HIV-infected older adults

Combination antiretroviral therapy transformed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infection from a terminal illness to a manageable condition, but these patients remain at a significantly elevated risk of developing cognitive impairments and the mechanisms are not understood. Some previous neuroimaging studies have found hyperactivation in frontoparietal networks of HIV-infected patients, whereas others reported aberrations restricted to sensory cortices. In this study, we utilize high-resolution structural and neurophysiological imaging to determine whether alterations in brain structure, function, or both contribute to HIV-related cognitive impairments. HIV-infected adults and individually matched controls completed 3-Tesla structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) and a mechanoreception task during magnetoencephalography (MEG). MEG data were examined using advanced beamforming methods, and sMRI data were analyzed using the latest voxel-based morphometry methods with DARTEL. We found significantly reduced theta responses in the postcentral gyrus and increased alpha activity in the prefrontal cortices of HIV-infected patients compared with controls. Patients also had reduced gray matter volume in the postcentral gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, and other regions. Importantly, reduced gray matter volume in the left postcentral gyrus was spatially coincident with abnormal MEG responses in HIV-infected patients. Finally, left prefrontal and postcentral gyrus activity was correlated with neuropsychological performance and, when used in conjunction, these two MEG findings had a sensitivity and specificity of over 87.5% for HIV-associated cognitive impairment. This study is the first to demonstrate abnormally increased activity in association cortices with simultaneously decreased activity in sensory areas. These MEG findings had excellent sensitivity and specificity for HIV-associated cognitive impairment, and may hold promise as a potential disease marker.

Usefulness of Patient-Generated Index for HIV to Measure Individual Quality of Life: A Study from Thailand

OBJECTIVES

To measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Thai HIV patients using the patient-generated index for HIV (PGI-HIV) and to compare the psychometric properties of the PGI-HIV with those of the EuroQol five-dimensional (EQ-5D) questionnaire and the Medical Outcome Study HIV Health Survey in terms of practicality, reliability, validity, and responsiveness.

METHODS

In this study, two rounds of interviews were carried out in HIV outpatients who met the eligibility criteria and attended the HIV Clinic of Warinchamrap Hospital between January and March 2010. The patients were interviewed using a data collection form and three HRQOL measures (the PGI-HIV, the EQ-5D questionnaire, and the Medical Outcome Study HIV Health Survey) to assess the practicality and validity. The second interview was performed to check the test-retest reliability and responsiveness.

RESULTS

A total of 210 patients completed the study. They were mostly women (69.5%), with a mean age of 39.2 ± 11.1 years. The majority with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clinical stage C took the current antiretroviral drugs within 1 year. The average PGI score was about 0.60, implying HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral drug therapy decreased the patients' quality of life by 40% from their healthy life. Three mostly cited impact domains were hyperlipidemia, lipid maldistribution and lipodystrophy, and hepatitis. The PGI-HIV was considered as practical, with a mean difficulty score of 3.7 ± 0.8, highly reliable (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.75; P < 0.001), and responsive to HRQOL changes (effect size = 0.81; standardized response mean = 0.99), but not valid when compared with CD4 levels and viral loads (all Pearson' r < 0.2; P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The PGI-HIV was used to measure the individual HRQOL in a Thai sample of HIV-positive patients. It proves to be practical, highly reliable, and very responsive to changes in patients' HRQOL.

The hepatitis C self-management program: sustainability of primary outcomes at 1 year

OBJECTIVE

Chronic hepatitis C infection afflicts millions of people worldwide. Although antiviral treatments are increasingly effective, many hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients avoid treatment, do not complete or respond to treatment, or have contraindications. Self-management interventions are one option for promoting behavioral changes leading to liver wellness and improved quality of life. Our objective was to evaluate whether the effects of the HCV self-management program were sustained at the 12-month follow-up assessment.

METHODS

Veteran Affairs patients with hepatitis C (N = 134; mean age = 54.6 years, 95% male, 41% ethnic minority, 48% homeless in last 5 years) were randomized to either a 6-week self-management workshop or an information-only intervention. The weekly 2-hour self-management sessions were based on a cognitive-behavioral program with hepatitis C-specific modules. Outcomes including hepatitis C knowledge, depression, energy, and health-related quality of life were measured at baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months later. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA.

RESULTS

Compared with the information-only group, participants attending the self-management workshop improved more on HCV knowledge (p < .005), SF-36 energy/vitality (p = .016), and the Quality of Well-Being Scale (p = .036). Similar trends were found for SF-36 physical functioning and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale.

CONCLUSION

Better outcomes were sustained among self-management participants at the 12-month assessment despite the intervention only lasting 6 weeks. HCV health care providers should consider adding self-management interventions for patients with chronic HCV.

Agreement about identifying patients who change over time: cautionary results in cataract and heart failure patients

BACKGROUND

Preference-based measures of health-related quality of life all use the same dead = 0.00 to perfect health = 1.00 scale, but there are substantial differences among measures.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to examine agreement in classifying patients as better, stable, or worse.

METHODS

The EQ-5D, Health Utilities Index Mark 2 and Mark 3, Quality of Well-Being-Self-Administered scale, Short-Form 36 (Short-Form 6D), and disease-targeted measures were administered prospectively in 2 clinical cohorts. The study was conducted at academic medical centers: University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, San Diego; University of Wisconsin-Madison; and University of Southern California. Patients undergoing cataract extraction surgery with lens replacement completed the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25). Patients newly referred to congestive heart failure specialty clinics completed the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHF). In both cohorts, subjects completed surveys at baseline and at 1 and 6 months. The NEI-VFQ-25 and MLHF were used as gold standards to assign patients to categories of change. Agreement was assessed using κ.

RESULTS

There were 376 cataract patients recruited. Complete data for baseline and the 1-month follow-up were available on all measures for 210 cases. Using criteria specified by Altman, agreement was poor for 6 of 9 pairs of comparisons and fair for 3 pairs. There were 160 heart failure patients recruited. Complete data for baseline and the 6-month follow-up were available for 86 cases. Agreement was negligible for 5 pairs and fair for 1. The study was conducted on selected patients at a few academic medical centers.

CONCLUSIONS

The results underscore the lack of interchangeability among different preference-based measures.

The validation of a new measure quantifying the social quality of life of ethnically diverse older women: two cross-sectional studies

BACKGROUND

To our knowledge, the available psychometric literature does not include an instrument for the quantification of social quality of life among older women from diverse ethnic backgrounds. To address the need for a tool of this kind, we conducted two studies to assess the initial reliability and validity of a new instrument. The latter was created specifically to quantify the contribution of a) social networks and resources (e.g., family, friends, and community) as well as b) one's perceived power and respect within family and community to subjective well-being in non-clinical, ethnically diverse populations of older women.

METHODS

In Study 1, we recruited a cross-sectional sample of primarily non-European-American older women (N = 220) at a variety of community locations. Participants were administered the following: a short screener for dementia; a demographic list; an initial pool of 50 items from which the final items of the new Older Women's Social Quality of Life Inventory (OWSQLI) were to be chosen (based on a statistical criterion to apply to the factor analysis findings); the Single Item Measure of Social Support (SIMSS); and the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (MOS SF-36). Study 2 was conducted on a second independent sample of ethnically diverse older women. The same recruitment strategies, procedures, and instruments as those of Study 1 were utilized in Study 2, whose sample was comprised of 241 older women with mostly non-European-American ethnic status.

RESULTS

In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis of the OWSQLI obtained robust findings: the total variance explained by one single factor with the final selection of 22 items was over 44%. The OWSQLI demonstrated strong internal consistency (α = .92, p < .001), adequate criterion validity with the SIMSS (r = .33; p < .01), and (as expected) moderate concurrent validity with the MOS SF-36 for both physical (r = .21; p < .01) and mental (r = .26; p < .01) quality of life. In order to confirm the validity of the 22-item OWSQLI scale that emerged from Study 1 analyses, we replicated those analyses in Study 2, although using confirmatory factor analysis. The total variance accounted for by one factor was about 42%, again quite high and indicative of a strong single-factor solution. Study 2 data analyses yielded the same strong reliability findings (i.e., α = .92, p < .001). The 22-item OWSQLI was correlated with the SIMSS (r = .27, p < .001) in the expected direction. Finally, correlations with the MOS SF- 36 demonstrated moderate concurrent validity for physical (r = .14; p < .01) and mental (r = .18; p < .01) quality of life, as expected.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of these two studies highlight the potential for our new tool to provide a valid measure of older women's social quality of life, yet they require duplication in longitudinal research. Interested clinicians should consider using the OWSQLI in their assessment battery to identify older women's areas of lower versus higher social quality of life, and should establish the maximization of patients' social quality of life as an important therapeutic goal, as this variable is significantly related to both physical and mental health.

Quality of life and related factors among HIV-positive spouses from serodiscordant couples under antiretroviral therapy in Henan Province, China

OBJECTIVE

To describe the quality of life and related factors in HIV-positive spouses undergoing ART from discordant couples.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,009 HIV-positive spouses from serodiscordant couples in Zhumadian, Henan Province, between October 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009. HIV-positive spouses were interviewed by local health professionals. Quality of life was evaluated by WHOQOL (Chinese Version). A multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the related factors.

RESULTS

The majority of subjects were female (56.39%), had received a high school education (44%), were of Han ethnicity (98.41%), and were farmers (90.09%); the median time period of receiving ART was 3.92 years. The physical, psychological, social, and environmental QOL scores of the subjects were 12.91±1.95, 12.35±1.80, 13.96±2.43, and 12.45±1.91 respectively. The multiple linear regression model identified the physical domain related factors to be CD4 count, educational level, and occupation; psychological domain related factors include age, educational level, and reported STD symptom; social domain related factors included education level; and environmental domain related factors included education level, reported STD symptoms, and occupation.

CONCLUSION

Being younger, a farmer, having a lower level of education, a reported STD symptom, or lower CD4 count, could decrease one's quality of life, suggesting that the use of blanket ART programs alone may not necessarily improve quality of life. Subjects received lower scores in the psychological domain, suggesting that psychological intervention may also need to be strengthened.

The hepatitis C self-management programme: a randomized controlled trial

Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection afflicts millions of people worldwide. While antiviral treatments are effective for some patients, many either cannot or choose not to receive antiviral treatment. Education about behavioural changes like alcohol avoidance and symptom management, in contrast, is universally recommended, particularly in HCV-infected persons from disadvantaged groups where liver risk factors are most prevalent. Self-management interventions are one option for fostering improved HCV knowledge and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). One hundred and thirty-two patients with VA with HCV (mean age of 54.6, 95% men, 41% ethnic minority, 83% unmarried, 72% unemployed/disabled, 48% homeless in last 5 years) were randomized to either a 6-week self-management workshop or an information-only intervention. The weekly 2-h self-management sessions were based on cognitive-behavioural principles and were adapted from an existing self-management programme that has been efficacious with other chronic diseases. HCV-specific modules were added. Outcomes including HRQOL, HCV knowledge, self-efficacy, depression, energy and health distress were measured at baseline and 6 weeks later. Data were analysed using ANOVA. When compared to the information-only group, participants attending the self-management workshop improved more on HCV knowledge (P < 0.001), HCV self-efficacy (P = 0.011), and SF-36 energy/vitality (P = 0.040). Similar trends were found for SF-36 physical functioning (P = 0.055) and health distress (P = 0.055). Attending the self-management programme improved disease knowledge and HRQOL 6 weeks later in this disadvantaged population. The intervention can improve the health of people with hepatitis C, independent of antiviral therapy. Future research will study longer-term outcomes, effects on antiviral treatment and costs.

Five preference-based indexes in cataract and heart failure patients were not equally responsive to change

OBJECTIVE

To compare the responsiveness to clinical change of five widely used preference-based health-related quality-of-life indexes in two longitudinal cohorts.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Five generic instruments were simultaneously administered to 376 adults undergoing cataract surgery and 160 adults in heart failure management programs. Patients were assessed at baseline and reevaluated after 1 and 6 months. The measures were the Short Form (SF)-6D (based on responses scored from SF-36v2), Self-Administered Quality of Well-being Scale (QWB-SA), the EuroQol-5D developed by the EuroQol Group, the Health Utilities Indexes Mark 2 (HUI2) and Mark 3 (HUI3). Cataract patients completed the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25, and heart failure patients completed the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire. Responsiveness was estimated by the standardized response mean.

RESULTS

For cataract patients, mean changes between baseline and 1-month follow-up for the generic indices ranged from 0.00 (SF-6D) to 0.052 (HUI3) and were statistically significant for all indexes except the SF-6D. For heart failure patients, only the SF-6D showed significant change from baseline to 1 month, whereas only the QWB-SA change was significant between 1 and 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Preference-based methods for measuring health outcomes are not equally responsive to change.

Suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 inhibits antiviral IFN-beta signaling to enhance HIV-1 replication in macrophages

HIV-1 replication within macrophages of the CNS often results in cognitive and motor impairment, which is known as HIV-associated dementia (HAD) in its most severe form. IFN-beta suppresses viral replication within these cells during early CNS infection, but the effect is transient. HIV-1 eventually overcomes this protective innate immune response to resume replication through an unknown mechanism, initiating the progression toward HAD. In this article, we show that Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS)3, a molecular inhibitor of IFN signaling, may allow HIV-1 to evade innate immunity within the CNS. We found that SOCS3 is elevated in an in vivo SIV/macaque model of HAD and that the pattern of expression correlates with recurrence of viral replication and onset of CNS disease. In vitro, the HIV-1 regulatory protein transactivator of transcription induces SOCS3 in human and murine macrophages in a NF-kappaB-dependent manner. SOCS3 expression attenuates the response of macrophages to IFN-beta at proximal levels of pathway activation and downstream antiviral gene expression and consequently overcomes the inhibitory effect of IFN-beta on HIV-1 replication. These studies indicate that SOCS3 expression, induced by stimuli present in the HIV-1-infected brain, such as transactivator of transcription, inhibits antiviral IFN-beta signaling to enhance HIV-1 replication in macrophages. This consequence of SOCS3 expression in vitro, supported by a correlation with increased viral load and onset of CNS disease in vivo, suggests that SOCS3 may allow HIV-1 to evade the protective innate immune response within the CNS, allowing the recurrence of viral replication and, ultimately, promoting progression toward HAD.

The Minimally Clinically Important Difference in Generic Utility-Based Measures

PURPOSE

To evaluate the use of utility-based generic quality of life measures for establishing the minimally clinically important difference (MCID).

BACKGROUND

Utility-based quality of life measures place levels of wellness on a continuum anchored by death (0.00) and optimum function (1.00). Preference measurement studies are used to define the meaning of points along the continuum. Health states that differ by less than 0.03 units cannot be discriminated by panels of judges as different from one another. Thus, 0.03 is a reasonable MCID for these measures.

METHOD

Three published studies of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) reported data on the Quality of Well-being Scale (QWB) before and after pulmonary rehabilitation. One of the studies also randomly assigned patients to lung volume reduction surgery or to maximal medical therapy. These patients were followed for an average of 29 months.

RESULTS

All three evaluations of pulmonary rehabilitation showed changes on the QWB in excess of the proposed 0.03 MCID. QWB changes for patients assigned to lung volume reduction surgery were close to the MCID threshold at one year but grew stronger in subsequent years. Using Norman's 0.50 standard deviation method, all three estimates of rehabilitation effectiveness and the outcomes one year following surgery fall below the MCID.

CONCLUSION

Different methods for estimating MCID lead to different conclusions about the meaning of quality of life changes following pulmonary rehabilitation and lung volume reduction surgery. The preference scaling system in generic utility-based quality of life measures provides a metric that is directly interpretable and avoids many of the criticisms of MCID measures. The method is sensitive enough to suggest clinically meaningful benefits of rehabilitation and surgery. Further, quality adjusted life years offer a valuable metric for policy analysis. Utility-based measures of health related quality of life should gain greater use in COPD outcomes research.

Quality of Life: Concept and Definition

This paper will consider 4 topics: (1) the definition of health-related quality of life, (2) the measurement of health-related quality of life, (3) the relationship between exercise and health-related quality of life in the general population, and (4) the relationship between exercise and health-related quality of life in patients with COPD. The paper presents data from the National Health Interview Survey, the San Diego COPD Rehabilitation Trials, and the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT).

Cost effectiveness of community-based physical activity interventions

BACKGROUND

Physical inactivity is associated with the increased risk of many chronic diseases. Such risks decrease with increases in physical activity. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of population-wide strategies to promote physical activity in adults and followed disease incidence over a lifetime.

METHODS

A lifetime cost-effectiveness analysis from a societal perspective was conducted to estimate the costs, health gains, and cost-effectiveness (dollars per quality-adjusted life year [QALY] gained, relative to no intervention) of seven public health interventions to promote physical activity in a simulated cohort of healthy U.S. adults stratified by age, gender, and physical activity level. Interventions exemplifying each of four strategies strongly recommended by the Task Force on Community Preventive Services were evaluated: community-wide campaigns, individually adapted health behavior change, community social-support interventions, and the creation of or enhanced access to physical activity information and opportunities. Each intervention was compared to a no-intervention alternative. A systematic review of disease burden by physical activity status was used to assess the relative risk of five diseases (coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer) across a spectrum of physical activity levels. Other data were obtained from clinical trials, population-based surveys, and other published literature.

RESULTS

Cost-effectiveness ratios ranged between $14,000 and $69,000 per QALY gained, relative to no intervention. Results were sensitive to intervention-related costs and effect size.

CONCLUSIONS

All of the evaluated physical activity interventions appeared to reduce disease incidence, to be cost-effective, and--compared with other well-accepted preventive strategies--to offer good value for money. The results support using any of the seven evaluated interventions as part of public health efforts to promote physical activity.

Cost-effectiveness of lung volume reduction surgery

Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is a costly procedure that can improve quality and quantity of life. Given the prevalence of emphysema, the costs involved with its management, and resource constraints on all health care delivery systems, evaluating the cost-effectiveness of LVRS is important. In this article, we describe the purposes and principles of cost-effectiveness analysis and how those principles were applied in evaluating LVRS. We present the results of the cost-effectiveness analysis that was conducted alongside the National Emphysema Treatment Trial and other economic studies of LVRS and discuss how these should be interpreted in the context of current reimbursement guidelines.

Health-related quality of life in emphysema

Patients with emphysema may experience reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL). HRQOL measures have evolved from two different measurement traditions: psychometric theory and decision theory. Psychometric methods typically create a profile of outcomes, whereas decision theory methods offer a summary score on a continuum ranging from 0.0 (for death or worst possible health) to 1.0 (for best possible health). Decision theory methods are better suited for cost-effectiveness studies. Generic HRQOL measures can be applied to any disease population, whereas disease-targeted measures are tailored to a specific clinical condition. Disease-targeted measures are typically more sensitive to clinical change, but cannot offer a comparison basis for different clinical conditions. This article reviews the measurement of HRQOL in patients with emphysema. The National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) offers an example of the application of both generic and disease-targeted, as well as profile and decision theory, methods. The NETT illustrates how HRQOL measures can be used to assess outcomes and estimate cost-effectiveness in a major clinical trial.

Pilot validation of a self-report outcome measure of complementary and alternative medicine

BACKGROUND

We previously developed a multidomain, self-report outcome measure relevant to a wide range of complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies. We report the results of a pilot study to validate the measure.

METHODS

Fifty-two patients (60% female, mean age, 53 years) seeking services from CAM providers completed a battery of measures prior to a scheduled visit. The battery included the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, items from the Brief Pain and Fatigue Inventories, ratings of global quality of life (QOL) and change in physical health, and our pilot measure consisting of six hypothesized subscales (pain, fatigue, physical/functional ability, personal control, existential issues, and general QOL). Internal reliability, item convergence and discrimination, construct, and concurrent validity were assessed.

RESULTS

Pilot measure domains appeared to be internally reliable with five of six alpha coefficients exceeding 0.70. Multitrait scaling analyses demonstrated that most items converged on the domains that they were hypothesized to represent, although item discrimination was demonstrated for the pain domain only. Correlations with standardized assessments of pain, fatigue, and global QOL showed evidence of construct validity. All domain scores differentiated patients classified high versus low in global QOL (P < .01) and four (pain, fatigue, physical/functional ability, and general QOL) differentiated patients who perceived recent changes in their physical health (improvement vs decline; P < .05).

CONCLUSION

These results provide preliminary psychometric data for a pilot measure of CAM outcomes, though further testing is warranted.

HIV and antiretroviral therapy in the brain: neuronal injury and repair

Approximately 40 million people worldwide are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Despite HIV's known propensity to infect the CNS and cause neurological disease, HIV neurocognitive disorders remain under-recognized. Although combination antiretroviral therapy has improved the health of millions of those living with HIV, the penetration into the CNS of many such therapies is limited, and patients' quality of life continues to be diminished by milder, residual neurocognitive impairment. Synaptodendritic neuronal injury is emerging as an important mediator of such deficits in HIV. By carefully selecting specific antiretrovirals and supplementing them with neuroprotective agents, physicians might be able to facilitate innate CNS repair, promoting enhanced synaptodendritic plasticity, neural function and clinical neurological status.

Meeting practical challenges of a trial involving a multitude of treatment regimens: an example of a multi-center randomized controlled clinical trial in neuroAIDS

Many clinical trials compare one specific treatment to a control or standard treatment. In HIV therapeutics, such fixed-regimen designs may be problematic as individualized treatment regimens are standard practice. Designing and implementing a trial that allows individualized treatment options poses particular challenges. In this example of a clinical trial in NeuroAIDS, it is hypothesized that some antiretroviral drugs [i.e., those that penetrate the blood-brain barrier sufficiently to inhibit HIV in the central nervous system (CNS)] will improve HIV neurocognitive impairment, whereas non-penetrating antiretrovirals will not be as effective in improving neurocognitive function. To test this hypothesis, a uniquely designed strategy trial was developed that consists of three essential components: (1) a scoring system that ranks regimens for CNS penetration based on semiquantitative criteria, (2) committee-established individualized regimen options that allow randomization to opposite ends of the CNS penetration spectrum, and (3) timely implementation across multiple centers via web-based resources. For the proposed trial, the three components are combined with an adaptive randomization scheme to minimize potential confounding by several important factors. A small pilot study demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability to providers. In conclusion, an innovative design can provide solutions to challenging practical issues in trials with multiple treatment options.

Lithium improves HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effects of low-dose oral lithium on the neuropsychological performance of individuals diagnosed with HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The project was a single-arm, open-label, 12-week pilot study at a university-based tertiary care center. The participants were adults who had been diagnosed with HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment and had been on stable antiretroviral therapy for at least 12 weeks. Conditions that could affect cognition, worsen adherence to study procedures, or increase the risk of lithium adverse reactions were excluded. Twenty-one individuals were screened and eight were enrolled, all of whom completed the study. Oral lithium was initiated at 300 mg daily and was titrated to maintain 12-h trough concentrations between 0.4 and 0.8 mEq/l. Global neuropsychological performance was assessed by the global deficit score.

RESULTS

At baseline, all participants had impaired neuropsychological performance and most had reduced CD4 cell counts (median 292 cells/microl), and HIV RNA levels in plasma below 400 copies/mL (seven of eight). Titrated lithium doses ranged between 600 and 1200 mg/day. Performance improved in all eight individuals after 12 weeks, and became unimpaired in six. The study treatment was well tolerated with no grade 3 or 4 adverse events and no premature discontinuations.

CONCLUSIONS

Lithium resulted in improved neuropsychological performance in antiretroviral-treated, impaired individuals in this small, open-label study. Based on published in vitro data, lithium may exert this effect by inhibiting neuronal glycogen synthase kinase-3beta.

A meta-analysis demonstrates no significant differences between patient and population preferences

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To summarize and quantify mean differences between directly elicited patient and population health state evaluations (= preferences) and to identify factors explaining these differences.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two meta-analyses of observational studies comparing directly elicited patient and population preferences for two stratified health state classifications: actual/hypothetical and hypothetical/hypothetical health states.

RESULTS

Thirty-three articles comparing directly elicited patient and population preferences were included, yielding 78 independent preference estimates. These preference estimates served as input for the two stratified health state classifications. Data on health state assessments, elicitation methods, assessment method, and population characteristics was extracted by one reviewer, and checked by two other reviewers. These parameters were used to explain sources of heterogeneity. Overall, patients' actual health state preferences were not significantly higher than populations hypothetical health state preferences (summary mean difference [SMD] = -0.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.01, 0.03). Nor did preferences for hypothetical health states differ between patients and population (SMD -0.00, 95% CI = -0.02, 0.02). Most parameters substantially influenced the SMD, although the magnitude and direction differed for the two strata used (all P-values <.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The actual/hypothetical and hypothetical/hypothetical meta-analyses demonstrated no significant differences between patient and population preferences, suggesting that both can be used to allocate scarce resources.

Quality of life as an outcome measure in pulmonary diseases

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a serious debilitating condition that is a major cause of death and disability in the modern world. There is no medical or surgical cure for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and rehabilitation has become an accepted component of disease management and recommended in practice guidelines. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs are designed to restore patients to their highest level of functioning. Traditional physiological measures of lung function are of limited value in the evaluation of outcomes from rehabilitation and rarely capture the benefits of intervention. This review considers quality-of-life outcome measures. There are 2 major approaches to quality-of-life assessment: psychometric and decision theory. The psychometric approach is used to offer a profile summarizing different dimensions of quality of life. The decision theory approach attempts to weight the different dimensions of health in order to provide a single expression of health status. Measures can be classified as either generic or disease targeted. Generic measures can be used with any population, whereas disease-targeted measures are used for patients with a particular diagnosis. Finally, measures can be categorized by their probable uses. Most measures can be used to characterize populations and to study clinical change. However, only generic, decision theory-based measures can be used to evaluate cost-effectiveness. In this article, we review measures for chronic lung diseases in these different categories and identify those more suitable for particular purposes. We devote particular attention to methods designed for use in cost-effectiveness analysis.

The effect of diagnosis with HIV infection on health-related quality of Life

We sought to understand how diagnosis with HIV affects health-related quality of life. We assessed health-related quality of life using utility-based measures in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic and a University-based clinic. Respondents assessed health-related quality of life regarding their current health, and retrospectively assessed their health 1 month prior to and 2 months after diagnosis with HIV infection. Sixty-six patients completed the study. The overall mean utilities for health 1 month before and 2 months after diagnosis were 0.87 (standard error 0.037), and 0.80 (0.043) (p<0.005 by rank sign test), but the effect of diagnosis differed between the two clinics, with a substantial decrease in the university clinic and a small non-significant decrease in the VA clinic. The overall mean utility for current health was 0.85 (0.034), assessed on average 7.5 years after diagnosis. When asked directly whether diagnosis of HIV decreased health-related quality of life, 47% agreed, but 35% stated that HIV diagnosis positively affected health-related quality of life. Diagnosis with HIV decreased health-related quality of life at 2 months on average, but this effect diminished over time, and differed among patient populations. Years after diagnosis, although half of the patients believed that diagnosis reduced health-related quality of life, one-third reported improved health-related quality of life.

The impact of neuropsychological impairment and depression on health-related quality of life in HIV-infection

Neuropsychological impairment and depression are common among individual with HIV-infection, resulting in significantly altered everyday functioning. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of these two important neurobehavioural complications on health-related quality of life in adults with HIV-infection. Participants (n = 155) received a 3-hours comprehensive neuropsychological examination, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Medical Outcomes Study HIV Quality of Life instrument. Four groups were formed based on the presence or absence of depression and neuropsychological impairment. Results suggest that neuropsychological impairment and depression can differentially affect dimensions of health-related quality of Life. Specifically, depression has a significant impact on mental health dimensions of health-related quality of life. Some evidence exists for an impact of neuropsychological impairment, or a combined impact of depression and neuropsychological impairment, on the Physical Health dimensions of health-related quality of life. These results confirm the importance of depression as a determinant of health-related quality of life in HIV/AIDS and provide a potential avenue for improving health-related quality of life in adults with HIV-infection.

Comparison of WHOQOL-BREF and SF-36 in patients with HIV infection

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the two generic instruments, the WHOQOL and the SF-36, for assessing health-related quality of life in 224 patients with HIV infection. The internal consistency ranged from 0.75 to 0.86 across the WHOQOL-BREF domains and from 0.72 to 0.93 across the SF-36 scales. The scores of all WHOQOL-BREF domains and SF-36 scales correlated positively with the measure of happiness, Sat-HRQOL and self-perceived health status, and correlated negatively with the number and intensity of symptoms. Patients with higher CD4 cell counts scored significantly higher on G4 (general health), three WHOQOL-BREF domains, seven SF-36 scales, and PCS (physical component summary). Patients with fewer symptoms and with less intensity of symptoms had significantly higher scores on all four domains of WHOQOL-BREF, eight scales, PCS, and MCS (mental component summary) of the SF-36 scale. The correlations between the physical, psychological, and social domains of the WHOQOL-BREF and PF (physical functioning), MH (mental health), and SF (social functioning) of the SF-36 were 0.51, 0.75, and 0.54, respectively. There is also good correlation between PCS of the SF-36 and the physical domain of the WHOQOL-BREF (r = 0.48), and between MCS and all four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF (r range = 0.60-0.75). The WHOQOL-BREF domains showed fewer floor or ceiling effect than the SF-36 scales. We concluded that both the WHOQOL-BREF and the SF-36 are reliable and valid health related quality-of-life instruments in patients with HIV infection.

Measurement of health-related quality of life in the national emphysema treatment trial

PURPOSES

To evaluate two generic and two disease-specific measures of health-related quality of life (QOL) using prerandomization data from the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT).

METHOD

The analyses used data collected from the 1,218 subjects who were randomized in the NETT. Patients completed evaluations before and after completion of the prerandomization phase of the NETT pulmonary rehabilitation program. Using data obtained prior to participation in the rehabilitation program, QOL measures were evaluated against physiologic and functional criteria using correlational analysis. The physiologic criteria included estimates of emphysema severity based on FEV(1) and measures of Pao(2) obtained with the subject at rest and breathing room air. Functional measures included the 6-min walk distance (6MWD), maximum work, and hospitalizations in the prior 3 months.

RESULTS

Correlation coefficients between QOL measures ranged from -0.31 to 0.70. In comparison to normative samples, scores on general QOL measures were low, suggesting that the NETT participants were quite ill. All QOL measures were modestly but significantly correlated with FEV(1), maximum work, and 6MWD. Patients who had stayed overnight in a hospital in the prior 3 months reported lower QOL on average than those who had not been hospitalized. There were significant improvements for all QOL measures following the rehabilitation program, and improvements in QOL were correlated with improvements in 6MWD.

COMMENT

The disease-specific and general QOL measures used in the NETT were correlated. Analyses suggested that these measures improved significantly following the rehabilitation phase of the NETT.

Using the quality of well-being scale to assess quality of life in out-of-treatment drug users

The Quality of Well-Being Scale (QWB) was developed for use with diverse patient and general population samples. This study investigated its use with a sample of out-of-treatment drug users. The QWB was administered to 75 out-of-treatment drug users. A linear regression model was developed using the QWB score as the dependent variable and items from the Risk Behavior Assessment (RBA) as independent variables. The sample consisted of 18 women and 57 men. The mean QWB score was .703 (SD = .12, range .51 to 1.0). The final multivariate regression model included six variables: days used other opiates in the last 30, ever in outpatient drug free treatment, income in the past 30 days from welfare, the number of times gave sex for drugs in the past 30 days, ever being in prison/jail drug treatment, and the number of days in the last 30 used amphetamines. This model accounted for 85% of the variance in QWB scores. Different modalities of drug treatment appear to influence QWB scores in different ways. Outpatient drug free treatment was negatively associated with QWB score(s), while prison/jail drug treatment was positively associated with QWB scores.

Social support and quality of life over time among adults living with HIV in the HAART era

Stability in perceived social support and associations between social support and health-related quality of life for a sample of 41 adult outpatients living with HIV/AIDS (PHA) in Canada were assessed longitudinally. Construct-specific dimensions of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (SSS), the Physical and Mental components of the Short-Form-36 (SF-36) quality of life measure, as well as clinical factors (i.e., symptomatology, immunologic/virologic variables), were measured in three waves: initial consecutive registration (T1, 1997), 2-year (T2, 1999) and 4-year (T3, 2001) follow-up, and evaluated for changes using repeated-measures analysis of variance, supplemented by Friedman tests for SSS and SF-36 ratings. Proportions of the PHA sample with clinically significant SSS changes (i.e., greater than 0.5 standardized effect size) were also calculated. Effects of improvement versus deterioration in SSS ratings on SF-36 ratings, and vice versa, were explored. Associations between SSS and SF-36 ratings, as well as between changes in SSS ratings and SF-36 ratings, were assessed using multiple regression analyses controlling for clinical factors. Cross-lagged analyses were conducted to examine predictive potential between SSS and SF-36 ratings. Clinical outcomes suggested immunologic improvement tempered by symptoms and/or treatment side effects. SSS and SF-36 mean ratings were moderately stable over time, but clinically significant 4-year decrements in SSS ratings occurred for approximately 40% of patients. A trend occurred in which poorer SF-36 mental outcomes portended poorer emotional and informational support. Otherwise, relations between SSS and SF-36 ratings appeared to be reciprocal. Cross-sectional associations between SSS and SF-36 ratings were more pronounced at T2 compared to baseline and T3. Changes in SSS and SF-36 ratings were somewhat related over the consecutive 2-year periods but not over the long term. T1-T2 SSS changes were associated with changes in the SF-36 mental component. T2-T3 SSS changes were associated with changes in the SF-36 physical component. Cross-lagged analyses yielded little explanation concerning direction of causation in terms of associations between social support and quality of life for the PHA in this study.

Cost effectiveness of lung volume reduction surgery

Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is a costly new procedure that could influence quality of life and survival for persons who have severe emphysema. This article reviews the history of LVRS from an economic and policy perspective and provides estimates of the cost effectiveness of LVRS derived from the National Emphysema Treatment Trial, a recently completed multicenter evaluation of LVRS, compared with medical care. Estimates of the potential impact of LVRS on the national health care budget are provided. The high cost and uncertainty regarding the long-term cost effectiveness of LVRS warrant further evaluation after public and private health insurers make coverage decisions for this procedure, particularly if it is adopted as part of the standard of care.

The health-related quality-of-life impact of histamine dihydrochloride plus interleukin-2 compared with interleukin-2 alone in patients with metastatic melanoma

The aim of this study was to compare the quality-of-life (QOL) effects of interleukin-2 (IL-2) alone with those of IL-2 plus histamine dihydrochloride in the setting of a multicenter, randomized trial for patients with metastatic melanoma. QOL data were collected from July 1997 to March 2000 during a phase III trial comparing subcutaneous histamine plus IL-2 and IL-2 alone. Prior to each treatment cycle, patients completed the 76-item Quality-of-Well-Being Scale-Self-Administered (QWB-SA) questionnaire, the Overall State of Health (OSH) item, and the General Health Perception (GHP) item. A longitudinal data analysis using the generalized estimating equations approach was performed to compare changes in QWB-SA scores over time between treatment groups, and predicted QWB-SA scores from the regression analysis were used to calculate quality-adjusted survival duration over the 12-month study period. QOL analyses were conducted for all randomized patients (intent-to-treat overall population, ITT-OA) and all patients who had liver metastases at randomization (ITT-LM population). In the ITT-OA population, differences in QWB-SA scores over time between the histamine plus IL-2 group (150 patients) and the IL-2 alone group (151 patients) were not significant (P=0.511, type III F test). In the ITT-LM population (53 histamine plus IL-2 patients and 73 IL-2 alone patients), changes in QWB-SA scores over time favored the histamine plus IL-2 group (P=0.018, type III F-test). In both the ITT-OA and ITT-LM populations, QWB-SA scores deteriorated more quickly over time in the IL-2 alone group than in the histamine plus IL-2 group, resulting in a significant difference in median quality-adjusted survival duration in favor of the histamine plus IL-2 group by 31.3 days in the ITT-OA population (P=0.007, Mann-Whitney U-test), and 50.2 days in the ITT-LM population (P=0.011). OSH and GHP scores did not differ between groups. The addition of subcutaneous histamine dihydrochloride to IL-2 treatment improved median quality-adjusted survival duration and did not adversely affect QOL in patients with malignant melanoma.

Validation of the World Health Organization quality of life instrument in patients with HIV infection

We studied the reliability and validity of the World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL) assessment instrument in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. WHOQOL-BREF was used to assess 136 HIV-infected outpatients. The results were analyzed and compared with data from 213 healthy persons. The Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency ranged from 0.74 to 0.85 across domains in HIV-infected patients. The test-retest reliability ranged from 0.64 to 0.79 across domains at average 4-week retest interval. Factor analysis identified four major factors: social, psychological, environment, and physical, consistent with the four domains of the instrument. The scores of all four domains correlated positively with self-evaluated health status and happiness (r range: 0.52-0.60 and 0.55-0.73 across domains, respectively), and correlated negatively with the number and severity of symptoms (r range: -0.40 to -0.47 and -0.41 to -0.52, respectively). The scores of physical, psychological and social domains, but not the environment domain, discriminated between healthy persons and HIV-infected patients (all p < 0.01). We conclude that the WHOQOL-BREF can be a useful quality-of-life instrument in patients with HIV infection.

A meta-analysis of utility estimates for HIV/AIDS

The authors performed a meta-analysis to derive pooled utilities for HIV/AIDS and to assess the relative importance of study design characteristics in predicting utilities. Twenty-five articles were identified reporting 74 unique utilities elicited from 1956 respondents. The authors used a hierarchical linear model to perform the meta-analysis, with disease stage, elicitation method, respondent type, and the upper-bound and lower-bound labels for the utility scale as the independent variables. Disease stage (P = 0.016) and respondent type (P = 0.014) were significant predictors of utility. Elicitation method was of marginal significance (P = 0. 052). Bounds were not significant. Pooling utilities, the authors estimate a utility of 0.70 for AIDS, 0.82 for symptomatic HIV and 0.94 for asymptomatic HIV when the time tradeoff method is used to elicit utilities from patients and the scale ranges from death to perfect health. The pooled utilities reported here should be of great use to researchers performing cost-utility analyses of interventions for HIV/AIDS.

The influence of age on fibromyalgia symptoms

OBJECTIVES

Studies of the influence of age on health and well-being in chronically ill patients have produced mixed findings. This study examined young (20-39), middle-aged (40-59), and older (60-85) individuals with fibromyalgia (FMS), a chronic pain condition. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were differences among the age groups in symptomatology and to examine potential mediating psychosocial variables.

METHODS

Participants were 600 (95% female, mean age = 54, SD = 11) diagnosed FMS patients who were members of a health maintenance organization. Multivariate analyses of covariance were used to examine differences.

RESULTS

There were significant differences among the age groups in most of the variables: With increasing age symptom duration increased but FMS symptomatology decreased. No age differences were found among the psychosocial mediators. The results suggest that the effects of FMS decrease over time.

Comparison of German language versions of the QWB-SA and SF-36 evaluating outcomes for patients with prostate disease

BACKGROUND

The quality of well-being scale (QWB) and the Medical Outcome Study 36-item short form (SF-36) are alternative methods for measuring general health outcomes. Few studies compare these approaches against one another and no studies have compared German language versions.

METHOD

A German language version of the self-administered quality of well-being scale (QWB-SA) was developed using forward and back translation methods. The German QWB-SA and a German language version of the SF-36 were administered to clinical population groups with current diagnoses of prostate cancer, benign hyperplasia of the prostate, colon cancer, and rectal cancer. Data were obtained from four German clinics. In addition to the quality of life measures, data on cancer stage and disease state were obtained.

RESULTS

The QWB-SA and SF-36 were highly correlated. The QWB-SA was systematically related to disease state. Those with no symptomatic evidence had the highest scores followed by those who were stable with no metastatic disease and those with metastatic progression. Similar patterns were found for most SF-36 scales although the SF-36 failed to discriminate between those with no evidence of disease and those with stable disease without metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Both the QWB-SA and SF-36 perform as expected using German language translations. Although both measures differentiate patients with metastasis from those without symptoms, the QWB-SA better differentiated those with no evidence of disease from those with stable disease without metastasis.

Quality-adjusted survival in the first year after the acute respiratory distress syndrome

There is little information on long-term outcome after acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We measured quality-adjusted survival in the first year after ARDS in a prospective cohort (n = 200). All patients met traditional criteria for ARDS. Patients with sepsis and acute nonpulmonary organ dysfunction at presentation were excluded. The cohort was healthy before onset of ARDS as evidenced by high functional status (mean Karnofsky Performance Status index: 82.2/100 where >/= 80 = able to perform normal activities independently) and minimal comorbid illness (mean Charlson-Deyo comorbidity score: 0.32/17 where 0 = absence of chronic illness). We determined quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) using the Quality of Well-being (QWB) scale (0 to 1 scale where 1 = optimal well-being), measured at 6 and 12 mo. Survival was 69.5 +/- 5.0% at 1 month, fell to 55.7 +/- 3.7% at 6 mo, and did not change at 12 mo, yielding a survival of 59 life-years in the first year per 100 patients with ARDS. QWB was low at 6 and 12 mo (0.59 +/- 0.015 and 0.60 +/- 0.015), yielding a quality-adjusted survival of 36 QALYs per 100 patients (sensitivity range: 21 to 46 QALYs). We conclude that ARDS developing in previously healthy patients is associated with poor quality-adjusted survival. These data are important for cost-effectiveness analyses and long-term care.

Functional aerobic impairment in adolescents seropositive for HIV: a quasiexperimental analysis

OBJECTIVE

To determine the degree to which cardiorespiratory insufficiency limits physical performance in adolescents seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

DESIGN

Quasiexperimental, case series design.

SETTING

Rehabilitation physiology laboratory.

PARTICIPANTS

Seventeen adolescents (12 women, 5 men; age, 18 +/- 2 yr; weight, 74.7 +/- 19.3 kg; height, 170 +/- 9 cm) with HIV infection (viral load, 22,043 +/- 55,869 copies/mL; CD4 count, 499 +/- 210/mL) who were free of comorbid conditions limiting treadmill performance.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Spirometric measurements of oxygen uptake and anaerobic threshold obtained from a peak exercise treadmill test using the modified Bruce protocol.

RESULTS

Measured peak oxygen consumption (VO2) was 42% +/- 19% lower than expected (p < .025), suggesting a significant functional aerobic impairment (FAI) or peak VO2 less than 73% of expected values. Peak VO2 was only slightly higher (p < .05) than the oxygen uptake requirements for the most intense activities of daily living (ADL). Anaerobic threshold was only slightly higher (p < .05) than minimum ADL intensities.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiorespiratory insufficiency and FAI limited the ability to perform even low levels of physical activity in these adolescents with mild HIV seropositivity. Disability identified by quantification of FAI may affect implementation of the American with Disabilities Act and public health policy.