Development and validation of a novel idiographic measure of cystectomy patients’ goals and concerns before surgery

Abstract

Evaluation of: Morganstern BM, Bochner B, Dalbagni G, Shabsigh A, Rapkin B. The psychological context of quality of life: a psychometric analysis of a novel idiographic measure of bladder cancer patients’ personal goals and concerns prior to surgery. Health Qual. Life Outcomes 9, 10 (2011).

Morganstern et al. presented a brief quality-of-life appraisal profile (BQOLAP) to measure the unique quality-of-life concerns and issues of preoperative bladder cancer patients, setting the stage for future studies that would compare quality of life outcomes following reconstructive cystectomy surgery. Results from 50 patients with bladder cancer revealed 503 goal statements that were coded and developed into 40 content categories based on several overarching domains: motivational themes; health and treatment; functioning; mental health and perceptions; comfort and lifestyle; events; responsibilities; relationship and family; home and community; problems and conflicts; and other/nonanswer. Drawing from measures developed by Rapkin and colleagues, the BQOLAP was designed to prompt patients to create their own unique goals and activity statements and their subsequent ratings of goal-attainment activities, difficulty reaching their goals, support needed to reach their goals and self-ratings of how close they were to reaching their goals.

Keywords::

• bladder cancer
• brief quality-of-life appraisal profile
• conceptualization
• evaluation
• health-related quality of life
• patient communication
• treatment

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This material is partly the result of work supported with resources and the use of facilities at the Health Services Research & Development Center of Excellence (HFP90-020), Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center. David M Latini is supported by Mentored Research Scholar Grant 06-083-01-CPPB from the American Cancer Society. The views expressed here reflect those of the authors and not necessarily the DVA (Baylor College of Medicine). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.