Dimensions of quality of life and self-monitoring therapy with oral anticoagulants--still research or everyday practice?
Semin Thromb Hemost
; 25(1): 117-21, 1999.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10327231
ABSTRACT
In correlation with increased life expectancy of patients, quality of life (QOL) has become a factor of increasing interest by the patient himself and also of importance in health-care planning and recruitment of financial resources. In this context, self-monitoring of long-term anticoagulant treatment might be a strategy that could mean a step forward in health-related as well as general life satisfaction for patients participating in self-monitoring programs. Also, the new strategy of increased home-control of anticoagulant treatment illustrates the complexity of multiple factors that can lead to changes in the subjective feeling and objective aspects of QOL. Our intention in a pilot study was to probe the feasibility of QOL research and relevant factors of influence by retrospectively evaluating data from two groups of outpatients seen in a large treatment center. The high frequency (n = 8 in sample 2) of disturbed sleep as a simple screening indicator stresses the probable importance of undetected depression, which might require treatment and could confound research as to QOL. Instruments to measure QOL in oral anticoagulation self-monitoring should therefore be adapted to the heterogeneous structure of factors in the target population, and include psychological parameters, especially in regard to health-related locus of control and mood.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Thrombosis
/
Anticoagulants
Aspects:
Patient_preference
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
Semin Thromb Hemost
Year:
1999
Document type:
Article