Prof. Dr Monika Bullinger will give a presentation on the theme 'Assessing Quality of Life Across Cultures: Implications for Health Care'.
The event organised by the Department of Psychology will be held on Thursday 4 May from 12:00 to 14:00 at the Psychology Lab, Old Humanities Building.
Abstract
Abstract
Health related Quality of life (HrQoL) denotes the subjective perception of wellbeing and functioning from the patient perspective. It is increasingly considered a relevant health indicator in epidemiological studies and a meaningful health outcome in clinical trials. Assessment of HrQoL is well advanced in terms of psychometrically sound generic and disease-specific measures for adults and children, which are used to quantify the experience of health status and treatment. A challenge, however, is to represent cultural diversity in these measures and to establish their cross-cultural equivalence.
The talk will focus on models for and steps of cross-cultural instrument development and will identify the application of HrQoL tools in health care research and practice.
Implications of such application include quantifying the subjective burden of disease across cultures, especially chronic and rare diseases, suggesting options for improving health care based on patient needs, and evaluating the effect of these changes from the patient perspective.
Brief Bio-note
Prof. Dr Monika Bullinger is Vice-Director at the Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Her research fields are patient reported outcomes, quality of life, mental health, behavioral medicine, environment and health, psycho-oncology, chronic / rare disease, disability, health services research.