Tools for assessing the life quality of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

The assessment of the life quality has become the current research issue in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is one of the leading causes of chronic morbidity and mortality worldwide. According to the Global Initiative of Chronic Obstructive Diseases COPD is currently the fourth leading cause of death, with a tendency to become, in 2020, the third cause of death globally.
For clinicians, to assess the life quality of patients with COPD is to evaluate the treatment effects on the symptoms and to identify the negative impact of the disease on daily activities.
The questionnaire, a descriptive tool, is the one which assesses in a subjective manner, a wide range of effects of the disease that are later summarized in a final score.
St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and The Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRQ) are specific tools used to assess the life quality of patients with COPD. Whereas it is advisable to combine different instruments for assessing thelife quality, the generic questionnaires can be attached to the specific ones for a better assessment of the patient with COPD.
The tools for assessing the health-related quality of life come to complete the other methods of investigation of the patients with COPD, therefore it would be appropriate to to be used by clinicians, as further therapeutic conduct is able to improve the life quality of these patients.