[Measurement of health-related quality of life in thyroid patients]

Abstract

Few studies describing the health-related quality of life (HRQL) in thyroid patients have been published and a validated thyroid-specific HRQL measure is lacking. Studies indicate reduced HRQL in thyroid patients, but the studies are small or methodologically weak. Many clinically-relevant questions about HRQL and thyroid disease remain unanswered and the current sparse results are contradictory. This may be due to the lack of a valid HRQL measurement. Hopefully, increased focus on HRQL and the development of a valid thyroid-specific HRQL measure will improve this status.