Health-related Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Failure; A Protocol for Mixed Methods Study

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) refers to perceived physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. The purpose of this study is to evaluate HRQOL in patients with chronic respiratory failure (CRF).

The present mixed methods study is conducted since 2020 by simultaneous implementation of quantitative and qualitative phases. The quantitative phase is cross-sectional research to determine HRQOL in patients with CRF. In this phase, 171 patients will be selected based on the inclusion criteria from the internal medicine, respiratory, and neurology wards of hospitals affiliated with the Golestan University of Medical Sciences (Gorgan, Iran). The stratified sampling method is applied by calculating the bed occupancy rate. To collect data in this phase, the Persian version of the HRQOL questionnaire will be used for patients with CRF. In addition, the questionnaire will be translated and evaluated in terms of psychometric properties. Data obtained from the quantitative phase are analyzed by descriptive statistics using SPSS 16 software. Simultaneously with the quantitative phase, the researcher will achieve an understanding of HRQOL in the patients by using the contractual content analysis method in the qualitative phase. In this phase, the subjects will be selected via Purposeful sampling.  Data are collected through semi-structured interviews and sampling will continue until reaching data saturation. Data analysis is done by the Graneheim and Lundman method. In this regard, after extracting and categorizing the codes, subclasses and classes will be formed. Finally, the findings of the quantitative and qualitative phases will be compared and integrated for discussion and interpretation of the data.

Evaluation of HRQOL by implementing combined qualitative and quantitative approaches can provide a complete picture of this concept in patients with CRF. Moreover, the results of such studies can help predict outcomes and the efficacy of therapeutic interventions.