Health-Related Quality of Life Assessment in Daily Urologic Practice: A Survey of Greek Urologists

PURPOSE: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment has become an integral part of clinical research across different disciplines. However, the degree of incorporation of QoL standardized questionnaires in daily routine is variable. This survey study examined how HRQoL is perceived and utilized among urologists from the Hellenic Urological Association (HUA) in their daily practice. METHODS: A nationwide survey of Greek urologists registered with the HUA was conducted. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire sent via email. The survey questionnaire consisted of demographic data including sex, age, working position and working environment and 11 Likert-scale questions regarding perception and use of HRQoL in clinical practice. RESULTS: A total of 1000 Greek urologists were contacted, of whom 400 (40%) responded. Participants were predominantly male (94.8%) with a mean age of 43.7 years and a mean working experience of 12.5 years. Most participants considered HRQoL assessment to be important in their clinical practice (95.3%) and valuable in both patient consultation (95.8%) and treatment follow-up (91.8%). Half of urologists (51%) agreed with the statement that there is limited time for HRQoL assessment in daily practice. Validated questionnaires were rated as useful by 75.5% of participants. Overall, only 26.7% of participants stated they have incorporated HRQoL questionnaires in their daily practice. A subgroup analysis of participants showed that experienced physicians (>10 years) were less likely to utilize HRQoL (OR 0.38, p=0.008, 95% CI 0.19–0.77) and experienced difficulty in distinguishing between HRQoL assessment and symptom-rating (OR 0.32, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.17–0.61). Lack of time for HRQoL assessment was a main concern for urologists in-training (OR 0.7, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.57–0.85). CONCLUSION: HRQoL assessment is well-perceived by Greek urologists, although it has yet to achieve a substantial degree of integration in their daily practice.