Quality of Life assessments in the evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux and peptic ulcer disease before, during and after treatment

Abstract

Background: It has recently been suggested that Quality of Life (QOL) be used in the evaluation of new medical treatment regimens together with cost-benefit, efficacy and safety. In this overview we point out some aspects of use of the Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWB) in patients with peptic ulcer and reflux disease gained from our own investigations in later years.

Methods: QOL was assessed using questionnaires before diagnosis, during medical healing treatment and at a 1-year follow-up in peptic ulcer disease or before and after surgery in reflux disease.

Results: Untreated patients with unknown diagnosis had low QOL scores. With treatment, scores increased rapidly to supernormal values and fell off to normal values during the follow-up year.

Conclusion: QOL evaluations seem sensitive and reflect the patient's subjective feeling of disease. They add another new aspect of treatment effect not earlier included in treatment evaluations.