Origins and Definitions of Quality of Life

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Origins and Definitions of Quality of Life According to Edwards (n.d) the concept of Quality of Life (QOL) originally became popular in the 1960s. Its original applications were restricted to income, nutrition, and shelter. Many people commonly referred to it was “satisfaction with life” or asking if your life was “as good as someone else's life.” Research has worked to narrow QOL down to a more specific definition and to a definition that specifically deals with Healthcare Related Quality of Life (HRQOL). According to Armstrong and Caldwell (2004) HRQOL started to acquire a definition in the 1970s, but really was narrowed down in the last two decades to become the definition that is used by healthcare professionals today. What sprouted the debate of what quality of life was and how to improve it was the advances in medical care, including chemotherapy and furthering the survival of disabled children. These people were alive, but their individual QOL was low (Armstrong and Caldwell 2004). This discussion in the 1970s lead to the specialized HRQOL definition the Center of Disease Control has developed today. QOL is a broad term, but researchers have worked to provide the Public Health Community with a working definition of it that all hospitals and related administrators and staff can use. Starting with the definition of health may be a better place, before we move into QOL within healthcare. Center of Disease Control (2011, March 17) states “Health is seen by the public health community as a multidimensional construct that includes physical, mental, and social domains.” Healthcare has started to shift away from just saving lives, but also improving the quality of them. HRQOL includes the physical and mental aspects of heal... ... middle of paper ... ...ss.]. Retrieved April 14, 2014, from http://beta.congress.gov/bill/107th- congress/senate-bill/1030 U.S. House, House Energy and Commerce. (n.d.). Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Research and Quality of Life Act of 2011 [H.R. H.R. 3015 from 112th Cong., 1st sess.]. Retrieved April 14, 2014, from beta.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/3015 Valencia, C., Canaval, G., Marin, D., & Portillo, C. J. (2010). Quality of life in persons living with HIV--AIDS in three healthcare institutions of Cali, Colombia. Colombia Medica, 41(3), 206- 214. Verhoof, E., Maurice-Stam, H., Heymans, H., & Grootenhuis, M. (2013). Health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression in young adults with disability benefits due to childhood-onset somatic conditions. Child & Adolescent Psychiatry & Mental Health, 7(1), 1-9. doi:10.1186/1753-2000- 7-12

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