Self-reported quality of life as a predictor of mortality in renal cell carcinoma

Quality of life and its association with predictors in lung transplant recipients: a latent profile analysis

Backgrounds

Improving quality of life (QOL) is one of the main aims of lung transplantation (LTx). There is a need to identify those who have poor quality of life early. However, research addressing inter individual quality of life variability among them is lacking. This study aims to identify group patterns in quality of life among lung transplant recipients and examine the predictors associated with quality of life subgroups.

Methods

In total, 173 lung transplant recipients were recruited from one hospital in Guangdong Province between September 2022 and August 2023. They were assessed using the Lung Transplant Quality of Life scale (LT-QOL), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Life Orientation Test-Revised scale (LOT-R), and Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). Latent profile analysis was used to identify QOL subtypes, and logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations between latent profiles and sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics.

Results

Two distinct QOL profiles were identified: "low HRQOL" profile [N = 53 (30.94%)] and "high HRQOL" profile [N = 120 (69.06%)]. Single lung transplant recipients, and patients who reported post-transplant infection, high levels of negative emotion or low levels of mindfulness and optimism were significantly correlated with the low QOL subgroup.

Conclusion

Using the domains of the LT-QOL scale, two profiles were identified among the lung transplant recipients. Our findings highlighted that targeted intervention should be developed based on the characteristics of each latent class, and timely attention must be paid to patients who have undergone single lung transplantation, have had a hospital readmission due to infection, exhibit low levels of optimism, low levels of mindfulness or high negative emotions.

The History and Applications of the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12)

There has been an increasing emphasis on placing patients at the center of clinical care and health care research and, in particular, assessing outcomes and experiences from the patient's perspective. One of the most widely used patient-reported outcome instruments is the Veterans RAND 12-item Health Survey (VR-12). This article reviews the VR-12 development and its applications over the last 2 decades, including research and potential uses in clinical care.

Patient-reported Experience of Diagnosis, Management, and Burden of Renal Cell Carcinomas: Results from a Global Patient Survey in 43 Countries

The International Kidney Cancer Coalition (IKCC) is a federation of 46 affiliated patient organisations representing 1.2 million patients worldwide that is committed to reducing the global burden of kidney cancer. A large-scale global survey of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) to capture real-world experiences has never been undertaken. The 35-question survey was designed to identify geographic variations in patient education, experience, awareness, access to care, best practices, quality of life, and unmet psychosocial needs. A total of 1983 responses were recorded from 43 countries in 14 languages. Analysis revealed key findings. (1) At diagnosis, 43% of all respondents had no understanding of their RCC subtype. (2) Shared decision-making remains aspirational: globally, 29% of all patients reported no involvement in their treatment decision, responding “My doctor decided for me”. (3) While 96% of respondents reported psychosocial impacts, surprisingly, only 50% disclosed them to their health care team. (4) Lastly, 70% of patients were not asked to participate in a clinical trial, although 90% indicated they would be interested. The survey reflects patient perspectives from diverse clinical scenarios in which different treatment options are available. The data point to actionable deficits in the fields of clinical trials, psychosocial support, and shared decision-making.

Patient summary

In this brief report, we highlight the key results from the first large-scale global survey of patients with kidney cancer to capture real-world experiences. This survey reflects patient perspectives from diverse clinical scenarios in which different treatment options are available. We conclude that there is a need for improvement in the fields of clinical trials, psychosocial support, and shared decision-making.