The "Palliative Care Quality of Life Instrument (PQLI)" in terminal cancer patients

BACKGROUND: This paper describes the development of a new quality of life instrument in advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care. METHODS: The Palliative Care Quality of Life Instrument incorporates six multi-item and one single-item scale. The questionnaire was completed at baseline and one-week after. The final sample consisted of 120 patients. RESULTS: The average time required to complete the questionnaire, in both time points, was approximately 8 minutes. All multi-item scales met the minimal standards for reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficient ≥.70) either before or during palliative treatment. Test-retest reliability in terms of Spearman-rho coefficient was also satisfactory (p < 0.05). Validity was demonstrated by inter-item correlations, comparisons with ECOG performance status, factor analysis, criterion-related validation, and correlations with the Assessment of Quality of Life in Palliative Care Instrument (AQEL), and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30, version 3.0). CONCLUSION: The PQLI is a reliable and valid measure for the assessment of quality of life in patients with advanced stage cancer.