Prospective evaluation of preferences and quality of life in women with hip fractures.

Objective: Hip fractures are a major cause of morbidity for older women, which result in impaired health related quality of life (HRQOL). Few studies have prospectively evaluated the effect of hip fractures in women on HRQOL with different health state preference measures. We compared how 4 different preference measures change in women post-hip fracture and evaluated the responsiveness of the preference measures.

Driving problems in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To assess driving problems experienced by patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to examine the relationship between functional status and driving difficulty.

Methods: Using the South Eastern Ontario Medical Organization (SEAMO) database, we identified 721 patients with RA from both urban and rural backgrounds. They completed a cross-sectional, self-administered mail survey that included the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ-DI) and a co-morbidity questionnaire.