Development and preliminary validation of a health-related family quality of life instrument.
M Elise Radina, Deonni P Stolldorf, Vaughn G Sinclair and 4 others
PMID 37074985WHAT IT FOUND
Women with breast or gynecologic cancer described family life during illness as supportive, distant, distressing, or oppressive.
A questionnaire captured these patterns, but it has not been tested to change care.
Key findings
01The original three-part model did not fit the responses.
02A core set of 25 items formed four groups of questions.
03The questionnaire scores lined up with established family support and functioning measures in expected ways.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The Phase Two sample was mostly White, married, highly educated, employed full-time, and all participants were from the US, so it may not apply to more diverse women. Participants chose their own definition of family, so the tool cannot identify which family members are providing or blocking support. The questionnaire was not tested in real clinical use or linked to care outcomes; the authors say further research is needed before its usefulness as a screen is known. Phase One used only 10 patients to revise items, and the authors say conclusions about the instrument’s properties apply only to the current sample.
Declared interests
The paper’s metadata lists non-U.S. government research support, but the article text does not state funding or author conflicts.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat this as a ready-to-use clinical screening tool. The authors state that additional research is needed to determine its usefulness and efficacy in clinical settings.