Open AccessLeg ulceration in Portugal: quality of life
Author(s) -
Furtado Katia,
Pina Elaine,
Moffatt Christine J,
Franks Peter J
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
international wound journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1742-481X
pISSN - 1742-4801
DOI - 10.1111/j.1742-481x.2007.00342.x
Subject(s) - medicine , nottingham health profile , quality of life (healthcare) , normative , observational study , portuguese , physical therapy , audit , alternative medicine , philosophy , linguistics , nursing , management , epistemology , pathology , economics
This study was undertaken to examine the impact of chronic leg ulceration on patients’ health‐related quality of life in an audit of practice in Lisbon, Portugal, and to observe the changes following 12 weeks of treatment. A questionnaire was administered at entry into an observational study and following 12 weeks of treatment. Patients entering the study were asked to complete the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), Euroqol and visual analogue (VA) pain questionnaires at entry and after 12 weeks. Principal analysis compared final scores with those found at baseline and compared results with Portuguese normative data. In total, 98 patients entered the study and completed the initial questionnaire, with 68 (69·3%) patients completing the follow‐up questionnaire. There were significantly ( P < 0·001) higher scores for the patients compared with normative data for all domains of the NHP (all P < 0·001). Improvements were noted for all NHP scores after 12 weeks, although only bodily pain showed a significant improvement [mean difference ( d ) = 10·5, P = 0·003], with significant improvement also in Euroqol ( d = 0·10, P = 0·027). Energy and social isolation improved substantially in the eight (11·8%) patients whose ulcers healed, but did not achieve statistical significance, although VA pain score did ( d = 4·85, P < 0·001). Patients suffering from leg ulceration show modest improvements in perceived health following 12 weeks of usual care in Portugal. Improvements in practice may enhance the magnitude of these improvements.