Health-related quality of life in trauma patients at 12 months after injury: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is increasingly recognized as a benchmark in trauma outcome research, with few studies having evaluated the HRQOL in trauma patients. The aim of our study was to assess the change in trauma patients' HRQOL at 12 months post-injury and to describe their living situation and return to work status.

METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed at a Japanese tertiary care hospital from September 2013 to September 2015. The short-form (SF-36) health survey was used at discharge, and 6 and 12 months post-injury. We obtained information regarding living situation at 12 months post-injury.

RESULTS: Complete data were collected from 129 patients. The median age and injury severity score were 66 years 17, respectively. The physical and role-social component scores improved significantly between hospital discharge and 6 months post-injury. However, the mental component score decreased significantly during this period. There was no significant increase in any of the 3 SF-36 component scores between 6 and 12 months post-injury. At 12 months post-injury, 106 (82%) patients were independent and 15 (12%) patients were dependent on home care services. The return to work rate was 65% (47/72).

CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the quality-of-life of Japanese trauma patients generally improved over time, but remained lower than the Japanese national average. Most trauma patients return to home and work within 12 months post-injury.