ASSESSING QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN CHRONIC NONSPECIFIC LUNG-DISEASE - A REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL-STUDIES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 1980 AND 1994

Chronic non-specific lung disease (CNSLD), a chronic disease with cons iderable prevalence and mortality rates, is not only a medical problem , it also has significant psychological and social consequences for th e patients concerned. Quality of life research on CNSLD has been rathe r underdeveloped for quite a long period of time, but has recently bec ome an important topic in research as well as in patient care. In orde r to get insight into the state of the art of empirical research on qu ality of life (QOL) in CNSLD, a review of the literature between 1980- 1994 on this topic is presented. Special attention is paid to definiti ons and operationalizations of the QOL concept as well as on questionn aires used to assess QOL and the aims of QOL research. Analysis reveal s that QOL is seldom defined clearly and is operationalized in a varie ty of ways. Most studies have a descriptive nature or pertain to clini cal trials. The negative impact of CNSLD on QOL is well-documented and shows the importance of incorporating assessment of QOL in research a s well as in patient care. future rc?search is called for, which shoul d be theory-driven, taking into account recent developments concerning disease-specific measures of QOL.