Health related quality of life in patients with cirrhosis

HRQOL is a multidimensional concept that usually includes self-report of the way in which physical, emotional, social, or other domains of well-being are affected by a disease or its treatment. The concept of HRQOL is a direct descendent of the World Health Organization definition of health in that HRQOL is thought to encompass multiple domains: (1) biological functioning, (2) psychological functioning, and (3) social functioning. Cirrhosis of the liver has a considerable negative impact on HRQOL. This paper describes the instruments that can be used to measure HRQOL in patients with cirrhosis, factors associated with poor HRQOL, and interventions that may result in improvement in HRQOL for patients with cirrhosis. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media.