Evaluation and content of quality-of-life instrument for use in palliative care

Background

Quality of life is the most important outcome of palliative care--total care for those with life-threatening illnesses. Adequate palliative care depends on adequate care planning and evaluation, for which valid and reliable instruments are necessary. For a relatively new discipline such as palliative care, such instruments are lacking in The Netherlands. As a first step towards a set of instruments for palliative care, measuring relevant aspects of quality of life, an overview of the characteristics and the clinimetric properties are necessary.