Health-Related Quality of Life Mapping
Mapping 20 years of policy and practice
Although the concept of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) can be traced back to the 1970s, it has only recently entered health policy and practice beyond the area of clinical trials. Our assessment on the use of HRQoL spans the last 20 years, covering European Union institutions and agencies, as well as global health organisations present in WHO Europe.
Main findings
Widespread use of HRQoL both in EU legislation and non-legislative documents (e.g., technical reports, annexes accompanying legislation, etc.)
Traditionally used in the area of health technology assessment (HTA), the use of the concept has recently expanded for people to self-report their health outcomes
Most definitions subscribe to the WHO definition of health (1948) and concur on its subjective and multi-disciplinary nature, even if QoL / HRQoL are used often interchangeably
The concept is well anchored beyond the EU institutions in the context of OECD and is making inroads into the WHO work.