Categories for criteria:
(1) investigator-related (4 criteria)
(2) instrument-related (6 criteria)
Investigator-related criteria:
(1) specified the conceptual definition for quality of life
(2) specified the domains used to as the components comprising the quality of life
(3) specified reasons why instruments for measuring quality of life were chosen
(4) use of a single composite score (derived from the different domains, instruments, etc.) to describe the quality of life
Instrument-related:
(5) inclusion of a global rating on quality of life given by the patient
(6) distinction of overall quality of life from health-related quality of life
(7) capability of the patients to supplement items listed in the instruments
(8) (if supplemental items were added) ability to incorporate supplemental items into the final rating for the quality of life
(9) capability of patients to indicate items that were personally important to them
(10) (if personally important items are reported) ability to incorporate personal ratings into the final rating for the quality of life
The authors developed a summary score as follows (page 622):
summary score =
= (number of criteria met) / (number of applicable criteria) * 100
where:
• An instrument comprising a single item is scored using only the first 5 criteria.
• Item 8 was only done if item 7 was affirmative. Item 10 was only done if item 9 was affirmative.
Interpretation:
• minimum summary score: 0
• maximum summary score: 100
