A pilot survey on the quality of life in respiratory rehabilitation carried out in COPD patients with severe respiratory failure: preliminary data of a novel Inpatient Respiratory Rehabilitation Questionnaire (IRRQ).

Background: Measuring the state of health is a method for quantifying the impact of an illness on the day-to-day life, health and wellbeing of a patient, providing a quantitative measure of an individual's quality of life (QoL). QoL expresses patient point of view by a subjective dimension and can express the results of medical intervention. Pulmonary rehabilitation is an essential component in the management of COPD patients, and measuring QoL has become a central focus in the study of this disease.

Italian validation of the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL-It).

Introduction: Quality of life is a dynamic concept that can undergo change with time and/or disease progression. The aim of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Italian version of the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL-It), that we consider useful for assessing quality of life in Palliative Care.

Methods: The MQOL-It was administered by interview to 175 patients (M 108; F 67) admitted to a Unit of Palliative Care.

Alexithymia in respiratory rehabilitation.

Purpose: To date, there are no studies that have investigated the role of alexithymia in respiratory rehabilitation. We aimed to observe the prevalence of alexithymia in patients attending respiratory rehabilitation and to verify the presence of a difference between alexithymics and non-alexithymics responsiveness to the respiratory rehabilitation standard protocol.

Methods: A prospective cohort study evaluating the influence of alexithymia on functional recovery of in-patients afferent to the Respiratory Rehabilitation Unit of IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana.

Quality of life after acoustic neuroma surgery.

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess patients' quality of life after acoustic neuroma surgery, and if some patients' characteristics, parameters of tumor and surgical parameters affect patients' quality of life.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Tertiary care center.

The physical therapist-patient relationship. Does physical therapist' occupational stress affect patients' quality of life?

Our pilot study investigated the patient-physical therapist relationship. Physical therapists see and are actively involved in the consequences of and the improvements in patients' health status. This close involvement, together with their own expectations, renders physical therapists vulnerable to different kinds of stress.

Italian validation of the Royal Free Interview for Religious and Spiritual Beliefs.

Interest in the relevance of religion and spirituality to medicine is growing and concerns the possible association between religiousness, spirituality and well-being. In the rehabilitation field these factors may affect outcome. We translated the "Royal Free Interview for Religious and Spiritual Beliefs" into Italian and validated the Italian language version.