Table 1.

Example instruments and tools available for measurement of quality of life in patients with pain and constipation

General health-related measures

Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form (SF-36) [93]

Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form (SF-12) [94]

Nottingham Health Profile [95]

World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) pain subscale [96]

Utility measuresa

EuroQoL [97]

Health Utilities Index (HUI) [98]

Cancer pain-specific tools

Functional Living Index-Cancer (FLIC) [99]

Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) [100]

European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ) [101]b

Gastrointestinal-specific tools for constipation

Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) [54]

Elderly Bowel Symptom Questionnaire (EBSQ) [55]

Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms (PAC-SYM) [56]c

Specific quality of life for constipation

Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QoL) [57]d

Opioid-induced constipation-specific tools

Bowel Function Index (BFI) [58]e

^aSF-36 may be used as a utility measure

^bDeveloped for use in international clinical trials

^cA 12-item self-report instrument divided into abdominal, rectal and stool domains designed to assess symptom frequency and severity, and validated for use in patients with opioid-induced constipation

^dIncludes four subscales: worries and concerns, physical discomfort, psychosocial discomfort and satisfaction

^eThe BFI is owned by Mundipharma Laboratories GmbH, Switzerland (2002); the BFI is the subject of a European Patent Application (Publication No. EP 1,860,988) and corresponding patents and patent applications in other countries