IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE – THE NEW TARGET FOR TRANSPLANTATION

Organ transplantation has become the treatment of choice for many patients with end-stage disease. The goal of transplantation is to maximize both the length and the quality of life (QOL) while minimizing the effects of disease and costs of care. As short-term posttransplant survival is now excellent, attention has now been shifted to long-term graft function and patient quality of life. QOL is increasingly recognized as an important measure of outcome following solid organ transplantation.

HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL)

The terms ‘quality of life’ and more specifically ‘health-related quality of life’ refer to the physical, psychological, and social domains of health, seen as distinct areas that are influenced by a person's experiences, beliefs, expectations, and perceptions. Each of these domains can be measured in two dimensions: objective assessments of functioning or health status and subjective perceptions of health. Although the objective dimension is important in defining a patient's degree of health, the patient's subjective perceptions and expectations translate that objective assessment into the actual QOL experienced. Because expectations regarding health and the ability to cope with limitations and disability can greatly affect a person's perception of health and satisfaction with life, two people with the same health status may have very different qualities of life. In summary, HRQOL is a multidimensional concept that includes physical, psychological, and social functioning and captures health-related outcomes from the patients' perspective.