TY - JOUR T1 - Quality of life: what does it mean for general practice? JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 807 LP - 808 DO - 10.3399/bjgp09X472854 VL - 59 IS - 568 AU - JE Jacobs Y1 - 2009/11/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/59/568/807.abstract N2 - There is no doubt that maintenance or improvement of health-related or disease-related quality of life (QoL) is the ultimate goal of general practice. When keeping this in mind it focuses practice not only on the physical aspects of disease, but also on how patients perceive their illnesses. Defining general practice as ‘comprehensive personal care’1 implies that therapies should be balanced between evidence and patient preferences, which are influenced by their present and anticipated future QoL. This is especially relevant in treating chronic and palliative patients, when shared decisions should be made about surgery, medication and pain relief, withholding of treatment, and even some forms of euthanasia.In the last few decades many studies have examined the concept of QoL and methods to gain a clear view of this aspect of history-taking. Symptoms only partially reflect the perceived burden of the disease. Ferrans2 showed that in patients with cancer, QoL instruments provide additional information about side effects and the impact on other aspects of life that cannot be captured by measures targeted at key symptoms.There is a considerable discrepancy between patients' assessment of their own health and their doctor's judgement.3,4,5,6 So it is vital for GPs to ask questions about the commonly distinguished QoL domains of physical, mental, social, and psychological consequences of disease. Instruments to overcome bias in the perceptions of healthcare providers might be helpful in determining QoL. The content, … ER -