The Use and Impact of QOL Assessment Tools in Clinical Care Settings for Cancer Patients....

open access:
The Use and Impact of Quality of Life Assessment Tools in Clinical Care Settings for Cancer Patients, with a Particular Emphasis on Brain Cancer: Insights from a Systematic Review and Stakeholder Consultations | RAND
 

Design

We conducted a systematic literature review, 15 expert interviews and a consultation at an international summit.
 

Results

The systematic review found no relevant intervention studies specifically in brain cancer patients, and after expanding our search to include other cancers, 15 relevant studies were identified. The evidence on the effectiveness of using QoL tools was inconsistent for patient management, but somewhat more consistent in favour of improving patient–physician communication. Interviews identified unharnessed potential and growing interest in QoL tool use and associated challenges to address.