Quality of life among Oral Potentially Malignant Disorder (OPMD) patients: A prospective study

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of life among the Oral Potentially Malignant Disorder (OPMD) patients during diagnosis, at one month and 3 months after intervention (surgical or conservative). Methods: The University of Washington Quality of Life version (4UWQOL v4) and World Health Organization (WHO-BREF) were repeatedly administered on 54 OPMD patients. Results: The results of Friedman’s ANOVA showed a statistically significant change in the mean scores for pain, activity, speech, shoulder, taste, saliva, mood, and anxiety domains of UWQOL with time, (p-value <0.05); while physical health, social relationships, environment domains of WHO- BREF have shown significant changes in their respective mean scores. Conclusion: The assessment of Quality of Life (QOL) should routinely be done by the clinicians. If the clinicians start considering the QOL as the primary outcome of a treatment protocol, it will enhance patients’ identity, well-being, and personality.

Keywords

• OPMD
• Oral potentially malignant disorder
• QOL
• Quality of life
• UWQOL
• WHO-BREF