Conceptual model of health-related quality of life

Abstract

Purpose: To revise the Wilson and Cleary model of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), with suggestions for applying each of the components, and to facilitate the use of HRQoL in nursing and health care.

Organizing construct: HRQoL, based on relevant literature over the past 20 years.

Methods: The original model was revised in three substantive ways: (a) indicating that biological function is influenced by characteristics of both individuals and environments; (b) deleting nonmedical factors; and (c) deleting the labels on the arrows that tend to restrict characterization of the relationships.

Findings: Theoretical background is provided for each of the major components of the model, and examples of instruments to measure them, were added.

Conclusions: In quality-of-life research, the current challenge is to devise models to clarify the elements of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and the causal relationships among them. This revision of Wilson and Cleary's model includes a taxonomy of the variables that often have been used to measure HRQoL. This revision should be useful in research and clinical practice.