• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.32-45
• /
• 2004

Objective : The aim of this study were to measure quality of life(QOL) in liver transplant recipients, to compare QOL between living donor liver transplant recipients and cadaveric liver transplant recipients and to investigate whether SF-36 may be used as a disease-specific instrument in liver transplant recipients. Methods : We conducted a single-center cross-sectional study of 133 LT recipients ages 13 to 65 years, all of whom had had Liver Transplantation(LT) at least 1 months previously. QOL was assessed using a self-completion questionnaire consisting of the Bang Whal Ran(1991) instruments and the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey(SF-36) health status profile measure. We investigated whether the SF-36 instrument may be used as a disease-specific instrument in LT recipients. Individual scale scores range from 0 to 100, with higher score reflecting better health. Data on demographics, clinical status at pre transplantation 1 day, post transplantation clinical status, and graft function were collected to identify predictors of post transplantation QOL. Results : Standard measures for test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and discriminant and concurrent validity were examined. The reliability of the SF-36, as measured by test-retest correlation(Pearson coefficients: 0.729, p=0.002) and by internal consistency(Cronbach's alpha: 0.9431) exceeded conventional acceptability criteria. The correlation between domain scores of SF-36 and the Bang Whal Ran(l991) was clear and logical in that the clinical characteristics of SF-36 strongly correlated with the clinical component summary score of the Bang Whal Ran(l991)(r = 0.8155, P<.01). SF-36 scale scores were compared between Cadaveric Liver Transplant recipients and Living Donor Liver Transplant recipients. Donor types of post LT did not influence HRQOL(p>0.05). 87% of the liver transplant recipients were satisfied to get LT. Satisfaction of post LT showed significantly greater HRQOL(p<0.001). Conclusion : SF-36 is found reliable and valid. This study indicates thet Donor Type did not influence HRQOL after LT. The information gained from this study will help us to better define expectations and the clinical course after liver transplantation to patients and their families.