Comparison of quality of life among cardiac, hepatic, cancer, and dermatological patients

Abstract

Objective: To assess the level of quality of life (QOL) in patients suffering from various cardiac, cancer, hepatic, and dermatological diseases.

Method: A total of 339 patients of cardiac, cancer, hepatic, and dermatological diseases from DHQ/Allied hospitals of Faisalabad participated in this study through purposive convenient sampling technique. Quality of life was measured by WHO QOL-BREF (Validated Urdu Version) while demographic variables were recorded on a demographic sheet. The results were obtained by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) on SPSS 13.

Results: Out of 339, 156 (46%) patients were males while 183 (54%) patients were females. Of the total, 99 (29.2%) belonged to the lower socio economic status, 113 (33.3%) belonged to the lower middle, 62 (18.3%) belonged to the middle, and 65 (19.2%) belonged to the upper middle socio economic status. In terms of education, 49 (14.5%) were illiterate, 110 (32.3%) had primary level education, 118 (34.8%) had middle level education, 21 (6.2%) had done matriculation, 17 (5%) had intermediate, 14 (4.1%) were graduates, 8 (2.4%) had done masters. Of the whole lot, only 2 (0.6%) patients were professionals. Results showed that the quality of life was most deteriorated in the domain of physical health; while psychological health was the second most deteriorated domain. Social relationship was the least affected domain, while environment was the second least affected area. Quality of life of hepatic patients was significantly lower than dermatological patients with respect to physical health and environment, lower than cancer patients in relation to psychological health, and lower than cardiac patients in the social relationship domain. The quality of life of cardiac patients was noted to be significantly higher than the other three categories in the domains of psychological health and environment.

Conclusion: In the face of the evidence of high deterioration in the quality of life of the patients in terms of physical and psychological health, medical units should be better equipped with facilities to enhance a sense of betterment in patients. The treating doctors should be better trained to give due consideration to this important aspect of management. Moreover, the role of liaison psychiatry should also be incorporated.