QUALITY-OF-LIFE MEASUREMENT IN SURGICAL PRACTICE

Assessment of quality of life is gaining momentum in areas of medical practice where standard measures of outcome are not sensitive enough to determine treatment strategies. Such methods have not been widely adopted in the surgical specialties, although this is changing. The techniques used are easily understood but they have not been standardized and are subject to several confounding factors. Nevertheless, quality-of-life measurement may provide additional information in the research environment and surgical audit.