Abstract
Improving health-related quality of life is an important goal of lung transplantation.
This review describes background concepts, including definitions, measurement and
interpretation of health-related quality of life (HRQL), and other patient-reported
outcomes. Lung transplantation is associated with dramatic and sustained improvements
in HRQL, particularly in measures of physical health and functioning. Physical rehabilitation
may augment the early improvements in HRQL, whereas bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome
and psychological conditions have a negative impact. More research is needed, particularly
longitudinal, multicenter studies, to better understand the trajectory and determinants
of HRQL after lung transplantation, and the impact of targeted interventions to improve
HRQL.
Keywords
lung transplantation - health-related quality of life - utility - disability - patient-reported
outcomes