Outcomes measurement: Health-related quality of life

Numerous valid, reliable, and responsive health-related quality of life instruments are available and are designed to discriminate between individuals, to evaluate change over time, or to predict outcome. Many are worth examining for potential use or adaptation in assistive technology outcomes measurement. Some of these instruments are generic, some specific, and others deal with health state preference. Generic health-related quality of life instruments are broadly applicable across various diseases, conditions or populations. Specific instruments focus on a given disease, condition, or population. Health state preference instruments assess an individual's desirability for a given health state or outcome. Assistive technology practitioners claim that they improve the quality of life for the individuals they serve. Health-related quality of life must then be considered an integral component of the evaluation of service effectiveness.