Quality of life assessment in cosmetics: specificity and interest of the international BeautyQol instrument.

The wide use of cosmetics and their perceived benefits upon well-being imply objective descriptions of their effects upon the different dimensions contributing to the quality of life (QoL). Such a goal pleas for using relevant and validated scientific instruments with robust measurement methods. This paper discusses the interest of the new validated questionnaire BeautyQoL specifically designed to assess the effect of cosmetic products on physical appearance and QoL.

Validation of the underlying assumptions of the quality-adjusted life-years outcome: results from the ECHOUTCOME European project.

Background: Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) have been used since the 1980s as a standard health outcome measure for conducting cost-utility analyses, which are often inadequately labeled as 'cost-effectiveness analyses'. This synthetic outcome, which combines the quantity of life lived with its quality expressed as a preference score, is currently recommended as reference case by some health technology assessment (HTA) agencies. While critics of the QALY approach have expressed concerns about equity and ethical issues, surprisingly, very few have tested the basic methodological assumptions supporting the QALY equation so as to establish its scientific validity.

Difference of perceptions and evaluation of cognitive dysfunction in major depressive disorder patients across psychiatrists internationally.

Background: Many studies have suggested that major depressive disorder (MDD) is often associated with cognitive dysfunction. Despite this, guidance addressing assessment of cognitive dysfunction in MDD is lacking. The aim of this study was to examine psychiatrists' perceptions and evaluation of cognitive dysfunction in routine practice in MDD patients across different countries.