Health-related Quality of Life Assessment & Application

One of the main objectives of the Outcomes Research Branch (ORB) is to enhance the conceptualization and measurement of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and to increase the application of HRQOL data for decision-making in research, practice, and policy. While there are many definitions of HRQOL, within the context of cancer outcomes research HRQOL can be understood as including physical and psychosocial well-being that are affected by cancer and its treatments as perceived by individuals throughout the cancer care continuum. ORB's interests include research on pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric populations and assessing the burden on caregivers.

Outcomes Research staff are involved in this area of research in several ways:

• Quality of Life Assessment in Oncology Practice
• SBIR Initiative on Integrating Patient-Report Outcomes in Hospice and Palliative Care Practices
• Cancer Outcomes Measurement Working Group (COMWG)
• Health, Eating, Activities, and Lifestyle Study of Quality of Life Among Breast Cancer Survivors (HEAL-QOL)
• Experiences of Care and Health Outcomes of Survivors of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (ECHOS-NHL) Study
• Patient-Reported Outcomes Assessment in Cancer Trials (PROACT) Conference