Developing cancer quality of life assessment tools

Using Quality of Life (QoL) as a patient reported outcome relies upon good quality assessment tools. This chapter will consider the basic foundations and principles to guide development. The importance of creating the rationale for development and planning the development process are highlighted. The key stages in the development process are discussed including the generation of QoL items, construction and piloting/pre-testing an assessment tool. Other issues are briefly considered e.g., moving from development into validation, alongside other areas such as translation, electronic applications and modern measurement approaches. The wider context including the importance of collaboration with multidisciplinary experts and patient involvement are highlighted in developing robust QoL assessment tools.