Quality of Life (QoL) is an important concept widely used in medicine, sociology, and psychology. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines QoL as an “individual’s perception of his or her position in life in the context of the culture and value system where they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns’’[1]. When applied in the context of healthcare, the concept of QoL refers mainly to health-related QoL (HR QoL), the component associated with health status, health care, and health-related social support.
HR QoL is a multidimensional concept, it covers physical aspects (for instance, physical symptoms and functions), mental factors (for instance, mental symptoms, psychological well-being, emotional status, and cognitive functioning), social components (like social well-being), as well as other elements (for instance, global judgments of health, satisfaction with care, health, and treatment and outcomes).
Some of these factors may influence the HR QoL of older people with chronic diseases. In elderly patients, QoL is mainly influenced by physical independence, physical and mental health, and by physical and behavioral symptoms; moreover, the level of autonomy in performing daily activities has a fundamental effect on the HR QoL of these patients.
Many patients with chronic diseases depend on care from their caregivers and relatives: the progression of the disease may increase the needs of the patients, which in turn may affect the HRQoL of caregivers and relatives.
TeNDER will create an integrated care ecosystem using micro-tools to assist people with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and cardiovascular diseases, and – where present – comorbidities. These micro-tools will be able to recognise the status of a person and thus adapt the system to the person’s needs via a multi-sensorial system (even in the most severe cases), and match with clinical and clerical patient information, while preserving privacy, monitoring the ethical principles, providing data protection and security. By combining user-friendly technologies and substantial research experience, our project aims to help improve the HRQoL of patients and those who surround them.
References
[1] The WHOQOL Group. (1995). The World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL): Position paper from the World Health Organization. Social Science and Medicine, 41(10), 1403–1409.
