Quality of life after an acquired brain injury

The association between quality of life and functional level

Abstract

In Denmark, research regarding quality of life (QOL) after an acquired brain injury (ABI) has been sparse, especially concerning the development of subjective QOL over time and its association with objective functional level. The purpose of the present follow-up study was to investigate QOL and its association with functional level 1-3 years after moderate-to-severe ABI using data from 145 Danish patients from the Department of Brain Injuries, Rigshospitalet. The average QOL after ABI in our sample was found to be within the normal range using existing guidelines. In a subgroup of the patients (N=45), the development of QOL over time, from 12 to 18 months after injury, was examined and found to increase during this time. The association between functional level and QOL was limited, and in the subgroup of patients, the association disappeared from 12 to 18 months after injury, which indicates that functional level affects QOL early on after brain injury, whereafter it seems to have less influence on QOL. The results emphasise the significance of implementing patient-reported outcome measures in rehabilitation after ABI since patients’ subjective experience can be significantly different from objective outcome measures.