Abstract

LEAL, Joana  and  MANSILHA, Armando. How to assess the impact of the chronic venous disease on the quality of Life. Angiol Cir Vasc [online]. 2010, vol.6, n.4, pp.173-187. ISSN 1646-706X.

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is highly prevalent in the western world and is associated with significant costs. Outcome studies promote understanding of the diseases and the results of treatment. Given the strong social impact and often underestimate of CVD severity, it is important to use instruments for assessing quality of life (QoL). Several physician-generated measurements tools have been used as the CEAP (Clinical, Etiologic, Anatomic and Pathophysiologic) or the Venous Severity Scoring System (VSS). But the patient-generated QoL tools has gained significant relief, enabling monitoring disease progression and response to treatment, as well as assessing of quality of care provided and allow the provision of important information not properly expressed by the statistical values of morbidity and mortality that physicians traditionally use. It is therefore of particular interest this assessment in the context of CVD given the severity change of the disease over time. Among the patient-generated measurements tools, besides the generic, such as the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) or Nottigham Health Profile (NHP), are of particular interest the specific for CVD, which are an approach to all the dimensions of QoL affected in this pathology. Among specific instruments for CVD highlight the Chronic Venous Insufficiency Questionnaire (CIVIQ), of quick and easy use, reliable and validated internationally in terms of language and psychometric. The CIVIQ also shows extreme ability to detect state changes in the CVD, being a valuable tool for assessing the QoL of CVD.

Keywords : Chronic venous disease; Quality of life; Civiq.

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