Use of quality of life instruments in original articles of the Korean Journal of Dermatology

Abstract

Background: The measurement of quality of life (QOL) is increasingly important in patients with skin diseases. However, no study has objectively analyzed these trends in the Korean literature. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze original articles that measure QOL in the Korean Journal of Dermatology and to evaluate the use of QOL instruments. Methods: We collected 14 original articles that measure QOL from the Korean Journal of Dermatology (1960 to 2008) and analyzed these articles for annual changes of the number of articles, the kind and frequency of QOL instrument, and the kind of skin disease in the articles. We also analyzed 66 original articles from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD) (1979 to 2008) in the same way. Results: In general, the number of articles that measure QOL in the Korean Journal of Dermatology increased. The articles for psoriasis and acne vulgaris accounted for 21.4% of the articles each. Dermatology-specific instruments were the most common QOL instruments used. These results were similar for the JAAD. Of the dermatologyspecific instruments, the skindex-29 was used most frequently in the Korean Journal of Dermatology, and the Dermatology Life Quality Index in the JAAD. Conclusion: Measuring the impact of skin disease on QOL is increasingly important. Domestic assessment of QOL in skin disease using novel QOL instruments should increase to conform to international standards to allow Korean dermatologists to provide better care to their patients.