Abstract:

Background: The quality of life of cancer patients during chemotherapy sessions or radiotherapy sessions encompasses several changes. However, patient had to suffer a lot during the sessions. In order to, measure their quality of life through manual way, it is advisable to implement the computerized electronic version of QLQ so that the patient could deal with the different questions independently without hesitation that might led to increase in cognitive ability during the sessions. Moreover, the healthcare professionals could direct and plan the treatment accordingly so as to improve the QOL of cancer patients.

Objectives: The overarching purpose of this study had been to evaluate the acceptability of QOL assessments among healthcare professionals and cancer patients, by addressing how QOL assessments could be utilized to predict anxiety and depression scores, and by revealing how technology could contribute to the accuracy of QOL assessments and facilitate their implementation into oncology practices. The introduction of the electronic version of the QLQ could however, benefit the overall QOL of patients by bridging the gap between research and clinical practice among Indian population.

Methods: It was a cross-sectional, descriptive, hospital based evaluation study. Total duration of the study was 5 months (December 2015- April 2016), conducted in Medical and Radiation Oncology department of Dr. B.L. Kapur Memorial Hospital, New Delhi, India. A convenience sample of 60 patients with cancer was selected. They were further divided into Chemotherapy group (n= 30) and Radiotherapy group (n= 30). Data was obtained through direct interview, using validated Psychological intervention tool in the form of Questionnaire: WHOQOL-Bref Questionnaire, Zung Self-Rating Anxiety scale and Zung Self-Rating Depression scale, which was further managed through a statistical program, using appropriate statistical tests.

Results: A total of 60 cancer patients were included in the study in which Chemotherapy group consisted of 30n cancer patients and Radiotherapy group consisted of 30n cancer patients. In the study, 6(20%) were males and 24(80%) were females in the chemotherapy group, and, 15(50%) were males and 15(50%) were females in the radiotherapy group. Majority of the patients 32(53.34%) were in the age range of 46-60 years.

Conclusion: Utilizing technology to implement QOL assessments into clinical practice has several advantages that make it more feasible for physicians to use QOL information with their patients for predicting and determining anxiety and depression scores during cancer treatment. Electronic methods of assessment are more accurate and less time-consuming than paper-and pencil questionnaires (manual method).

Keywords: Cancer, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy, Quality of Life, WHOQOL-Bref Questionnaire, Zung Self-Rating Anxiety scale, Zung Self-Rating Depression scale, Computerized QOL, Electronic version.

References:

[1]. Perry, S., Kowalski, T. L., & Chang, C.-H. (2007). Quality of life assessment in women with breast cancer: benefits, acceptability and utilization. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 5, 24. http://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-5-24

[2]. WHOQOL Group. (1998). Development of the World Health Organization WHOQOLBREF quality of life assessment. Psychol Med, 28:551–8.

[3]. Zung, W. W. K. (1971). A rating instrument for anxiety disorders. Psychosomatics, 12(6), 371–379. Available at: https://psychology-tools.com/zung-anxiety-scale/

[4]. Zung, W. W. K. (1965). A Self-Rating Depression Scale. (1965). Arch Gen Psychiatry, 12: 63-70. Available at: https://psychology-tools.com/zung-depression-scale/