The World Health Organization instrument to evaluate quality of life (WHOQOL-100): characteristics and perspectives

摘要

Quality of life evaluation has been growing in importance as a measure to evaluate results in medicine. Taking into account the absence of a quality of life instrument with a cross-cultural approach, World Health Organization developed a unique methodology to create it. Initially, the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument (WHOQOL-100), with a hundred questions, was elaborated. The need of a short instrument to be used in extensive epidemiological studies caused WHO to develop a short 26-question version (WHOQOL-bref). Nowadays, a specific module to evaluate quality of life in HIV/Aids patients and a module to evaluate spirituality, religiousness and personal beliefs are being developed.