QUANTIFYING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQL) SCORES AND WORK-RELATED OUTCOMES IN ONCOLOGY

• Published in: Value in health Vol. 20; no. 5; p. A122
• Main Authors: Rendas-Baum, R, Bayliss, M, Bal, V, DAlessio, DL, Bjorner, JB
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrenceville Elsevier Science Ltd 01.05.2017
• Subjects: Absenteeism; Cancer; Cognitive ability; Health status; Medical diagnosis; Oncology; Polls & surveys; Quality of life; Questionnaires; Remission; Remission (Medicine); Sociodemographics; Unpaid; Work
• ISSN: 1098-3015; 1524-4733
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2017.05.005

OBJECTIVES: The impact of health-related quality of life (HRQL) on work-out­comes, such as absenteeism and presenteeism, has been examined; however, this impact has not been clearly quantified specifically in samples of oncology patients. This study quantified the association between differences in SF-12v2 k Health Survey (SF-12v2) physical or mental component scores (PCS and MCS) scores and work-related outcomes among patients with cancer not in remis­sion. METHODS: Data came from adult participants in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey who completed at least one SF-12v2 questionnaire and reported a diagnosis of cancer not in remission (n=548). Generalized linear mixed models were used with absenteeism (percentage of lost days of paid and unpaid work) and presenteeism (serious cognitive limitations) as the outcome. Predictors included SF-12v2 PCS and MCS with sociodemographic factors as covariates. Analyses examined these effects in the entire sample and specifically among employed patients. RESULTS: A five-point greater (more favorable) PCS and MCS score was associated with 9% and 20% lower odds, respectively, of having lost work days. Among employed subjects, a 5-point greater PCS and MCS score was associated with 20% and 24% lower odds of missing work days, respectively. A five-point greater PCS and MCS was also associated with 24% and 33% decline, respectively, in the odds of experiencing serious cognitive limitations; among employed subjects, the decline in the odds of experiencing cognitive limitations were 12% and 38%, for a 5-point greater PCS and MCS, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Better PCS and MCS scores were associated with lower odds of missing work days and experiencing serious cognitive difficulties, suggesting a close link between improved HRQL scores and declines in absenteeism and presenteeism. These findings can be a potential guide in evaluation of outcomes in oncology. Future research should explore whether these US based results can be generalized to an international oncology population.