Health-Related Quality of Life

Abstract

Health-Related Quality of Life Three Months After Stroke Degree project. Programme in medicine. Health-Related Quality of Life Three Months After Stroke. Lisa Söderblom. 2018. Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience. Gothenburg. Sweden. Introduction and Background Stroke is a common and severe disorder with several possible sequelae and with significant impact on the single individual and on the whole society. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), is an important aspect of stroke outcome. Knowledge of HRQoL enables patient-centred health care with satisfactory quality. Previously, large variations in HRQoL after stroke between European countries have been presented. Aims To examine HRQoL after stroke, using the EuroQoL 5 Dimensions 5 Levels (EQ5D5L) questionnaire, including the EuroQoL visual analogue scale (EQ VAS), in survivors three months after an acute stroke cared for at the stroke units at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Additionally, to identify factors at acute stroke that are associated with poor HRQoL after stroke. Methods Data was obtained from Väststroke, a local quality register for stroke. In the study, 3 495 consecutive patients with acute stroke, admitted to stroke units at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital, were included. Multivariate analyses of factors associated with EQ5D5L index and EQ VAS were performed. Student: Lisa Söderblom. Supervisor: Katarina Jood . Results Mean EQ5D5L index was 0.68 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.66 - 0.69). Mean EQ VAS was 63.8 (95% CI: 62.7 - 64.9). Increased age, female sex, low physical activity before stroke and increased stroke severity were predictors of poor EQ5D5L index. Anxiety/depression showed the strongest correlation with the EQ VAS, followed by everyday activities ability, pain/discomfort, mobility and self-care ability. Conclusions and Implications Survivors after stroke reported poorer mean EQ5D5L index and EQ VAS compared to normative data. The identified risk groups may represent possible target groups for intervention in order to improve HRQoL after stroke. Moreover, some of the identified associated factors are modifiable, pointing to potential targets for intervention. Keywords Stroke, Quality of Life, Patient Outcome Assessment, Risk Factors and Surveys and Questionnaires.