"collaborating with
physicians, to study quality of life and other patient-centered
outcomes...For more than a decade, I have directed the Quality
of Life Interviewing Center that employs students to conduct
standardized telephone interviews with participants in our clinical
trials and intervention studies. All of my research is designed to
improve the health of persons with various chronic conditions. Today, I
am working with physicians, nurses, and other social scientists on a
number of different projects related to glaucoma, breast cancer,
ulcerative colitis, stroke, and pelvic floor disorders in women.
Her most recent results are published in the June-July 2009 issue of the Journal of Glaucoma (Contrasting the Use of 2 Vision-specific Quality of Life Questionnaires in Subjects With Open-angle Glaucoma, Volume 18, Pages 403-411). Leading a team of researchers, Wren found that "patients reported excellent visual function on
both the NEI-VFQ [National
Eye Institute-Visual Function Questionnaire] and VAQ [Visual Activities Questionnaire]. These findings will help researchers
interested in assessing patients' perceptions of their visual function
make an informed selection when choosing between the VAQ and the
NEI-VFQ."
Although much of medical research focuses on carrying out clinical trials, understanding fundamental biological mechanisms, and improving medical devices and drugs, Wren realizes that the "bottom line" for patients is how a medical treatment improves their quality of life.
CBR member Patricia Wren, of the School of Health Sciences, studies quality of life.
Created by Brad Roth (roth@oakland.edu) on Friday, July 3, 2009 Modified by Brad Roth (roth@oakland.edu) on Friday, July 3, 2009 Article Start Date: Friday, July 3, 2009
