Abstract
Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is an important aspect of patient evaluation.
HRQL is particularly important in sarcoidosis, where treatment decisions are often
based on HRQL impairment. HRQL assessment in sarcoidosis must take into account not
only the direct effects of the disease but also the disease's psychosocial and emotional
impact as well as the potential toxicity of therapy. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs)
have been used to assess HRQL in sarcoidosis cohorts. Recent HRQL PROs have been developed
that are sarcoidosis-specific and have adequate resolution to be used for monitoring
individual patients potentially. In this article, the approach to HRQL assessment
in sarcoidosis is discussed. This article focuses on the general approach to HRQL
assessment, specific sarcoidosis issues concerning HRQL assessment, the construction
of HRQL PROs, and their application in sarcoidosis. Several HRQL issues in sarcoidosis
will be specifically highlighted, including parasarcoidosis syndromes, sarcoidosis-induced
fatigue, and the impact of corticosteroid therapy.
Keywords
sarcoidosis - health-related quality of life - patient-reported outcomes - dyspnea
- fatigue - depression
