Quality of Life Measures in Pediatric Lung Transplantation

Quality of life (QOL) measures are understudied outcomes in the pediatric transplant population, specifically in pediatric lung transplant recipients. Dr. Martin and colleagues from the Medical University of Vienna have recently published on post-transplant outcomes in children who have undergone lung transplant using the EuroQol questionnaire, a unique study in this population. While lung transplantation in children has been shown to improve functional status based on international data and other small volume QOL studies, pediatric data remains sparse and often relies on extrapolation from adult measures that have not been validated in children. In this editorial, we are pleased to highlight Dr. Martin et al.'s study, present a broader view of QOL measures in pediatric lung transplant, and compare and contrast various QOL outcomes that have been proposed for use in this population. This includes a review of the PedsQL Transplant Module, KIDSCREEN-52, CHIP, KINDL, PROMIS/PSC, and others that use pediatric-specific, transplant-focused tools. There is a need for multicenter collaboration in this population, and we encourage the international community to view this as a global initiative moving forward.