Quality of life in patients with adverse reactions to drugs: Preliminary results from a new questionnaire

Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) frequently complicate medical treatments. Between 15% and 30% of hospitalized patients experience ADR, and 0.2% to 29.3% of outpatients require hospitalization for ADR. Despite the wide diffusion of the problem, there aren't studies considering its impact on patients' Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). Aim of this study was to evaluate the emotional, practical and social burden of ADR on patients' daily life, by means of a new questionnaire (ADR-QoL). This new questionnaire covers 23 aspects that could be affected by the presence of previous ADRs. QoL was administered to 113 (32 M, 81 F; age 40 + 14.8) consecutive outpatients with previous ADRs. Measurement consisted of a five points Likert scale (1=not at all; 5=very much). 110 questionnaires were eligible for the analysis. The most relevant aspect, in 92% of patients, is the requirement of safe treatments for each possible disease. Family was involved in the problem in more than 90% of cases, whereas GP was informed in about 80% of cases. 87% didn't intake no drug, even if needed, without consulting an allergist. Reactions of fear and anxiety resulted to be present in all patients, most of them regarding medical emergencies and pain treatment. No impact by ADRs on social life and work emerged in our sample. Our results show a significant impact of ADR on emotional domains. Our questionnaire could be useful in detecting emotional reactions that interfere with treatment management, in order to reach the best level of adherence for each patients.