New score measures health-related quality of life in patients with kidney failure

Results from a new study support the validity of a score that considers various patient-reported measures and preferences for assessing health-related quality of life and promoting patient-centered care in individuals with kidney failure. The study appears in an upcoming issue of CJASN.

The score, called the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-Preference (PROPr) Summary Score, is determined from 7 domains: cognitive function, depression, fatigue, pain interference, physical functioning, sleep disturbance, and ability to participate in social roles.

When investigators led by Istvan Mucsi, MD, Ph.D. and Jing Zhang BSc, MPH (University Health Network and University of Toronto) correlated PROPr with other health-related measures, their findings supported the validity of PROPr among 524 patients who were undergoing hemodialysis or who had recently received kidney transplants.

"Up to 70% of patients with kidney failure experience persistent physical symptoms and emotional distress that substantially impair health-related quality of life. These concerns are under-reported, under-recognized and under-managed," said Dr. Mucsi. "Our results open the doors for the use of PROPr and PROMIS tools in nephrology research and in the care of patients with kidney failure."