Scale Overview
The Quality of Life in Life-Threatening Illness – Family Carer Version (QOLLTI-F) was developed by Robin Cohen, Alanna M. Leis, Denis Kuhl, et al. (2006). It is designed to measure Family caregiver quality of life. The scale is intended for use with Family caregivers of patients with serious or life-limiting illness.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 19 items organized into 8 factors/subscales: Global Quality of Life, Environment, Patient State, Carer’s Own State, Carer’s Outlook, Quality of Care, Relationships, Financial Worries.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Global Quality of Life |
1 |
1 |
| Environment |
2,3 |
2 |
| Patient State |
4 |
1 |
| Carer's Own State |
5,6,7,8,9,18 |
6 |
| Carer's Outlook |
10,11,12 |
3 |
| Quality of Care |
13,14 |
2 |
| Relationships |
15,16,19 |
3 |
| Financial Worries |
17 |
1 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = 0 (Lowest/Worst), 1 = 1, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = 6, 7 = 7, 8 = 8, 9 = 9, 10 = 10 (Highest/Best).
The scale includes 5 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 0 to 180. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Quality of Life: 0 – 60
- Moderate Quality of Life: 61 – 120
- High Quality of Life: 121 – 180
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Environment: 0.48, Carer's Own State: 0.81, Outlook: 0.65, Quality of Care: 0.71, Relationships: 0.54.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.