QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN PERSONS WITH NONSMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER - A CONCEPTANALYSIS

Quality of life, as a concept, has received increased attention in rec ent years. Infect, issues related to quality of life have been identif ied as among the top three priorities for research by the Oncology Nur sing Society. Several nurse investigators have underscored the importa nce of quality of life research as an outcome measure to evaluate the effectiveness of nursing interventions. Given its significance in cont emporary nursing practice, a clear understanding of the definition and dimensions of quality of life is essential for future development of an empirical knowledge base for practice. This article presents a conc ept analysis of quality of life as it relates to the health care of in dividuals with non-small cell lung cancer An evolutionary method of co ncept analysis is used as a guide for examining the historical context of the concept, defining the concept, identifying antecedents, recogn izing consequences, and distinguishing related concepts. A theoretical model of health-related quality of life is proposed on the basis of t his analysis, and future directions for research in this population ar e discussed.