Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42493671›Full record

ArticleQuality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation2026

Mapping the EORTC item library to the World Health Organization international classification of functioning, disability and health: a content analysis.

Hayat Hamzeh, Shaista Meer, Maria Rothmund-Grenier, Nathalie Egeter, Emma Lidington, Dagmara Kuliś, Mogens Groenvold, Johannes M Giesinger, Alexandra Gilbert, Claire Piccinin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Hayat HamzehLeeds Institute for Medical Research, University of Leeds, St James's University Hospital, Level 5, Clinical Sciences Building, Beckett Street, Leeds, LS9 7TF, UK. h.h.hamzeh@leeds.ac.uk.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1074-2599
Shaista MeerLeeds Institute for Medical Research, University of Leeds, St James's University Hospital, Level 5, Clinical Sciences Building, Beckett Street, Leeds, LS9 7TF, UK.
Maria Rothmund-GrenierUniversity Hospital of Psychiatry II, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Nathalie EgeterUniversity Hospital of Psychiatry II, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Emma LidingtonCancer Prevention Trials Unit, Queen Mary University of London, Empire House, 67-75 New Rd, London, E1 1HH, UK.
Dagmara KuliśQuality of Life Department, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium.
Mogens GroenvoldDepartment of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Johannes M GiesingerUniversity Hospital of Psychiatry II, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Alexandra GilbertLeeds Institute for Medical Research, University of Leeds, St James's University Hospital, Level 5, Clinical Sciences Building, Beckett Street, Leeds, LS9 7TF, UK.
Claire PiccininQuality of Life Department, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaires are some of the most widely used patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for health-related quality of life assessment in oncology. The EORTC Item Library is an online platform comprising all EORTC PROMs that enables the creation of customised questionnaires (item lists). To characterise and better understand the breadth of functioning, disability and health coverage within the EORTC Item Library, this study aimed to link and analyse its content using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

methodsA team of reviewers applied the most recent ICF linking rules to map the items currently included in the EORTC Item Library. Descriptive analysis was used to summarise the content covered in ICF categories and concepts coded as not covered or not definable.

resultsThe 1076 EORTC items covered 1860 concepts overall, with most (n = 1641, 88.2%) linked to the ICF. Concepts were linked to the majority of ICF chapters (n = 28/30, 93.3%), covering 60.9% (168/276) of all second-level ICF categories. The components of 'b-Body functions' and 'd-Activities and participation' had the highest coverage, with concepts linked to 80.0% (64/80) and 68.5% (63/92) of all second-level categories respectively.

conclusionsThe EORTC Item Library provides broad coverage of functioning, disability and health within the ICF. Using the ICF to describe its content can inform the selection of EORTC items and PROMs and facilitate standardised comparison across measures and contexts, supporting the use and interpretation of EORTC measures in research and clinical practice.

Indexed as

International Classification of Functioning, Disability and HealthNeoplasmsPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresQuality of LifeDisability EvaluationHumansSurveys and QuestionnairesWorld Health OrganizationCancerHealth-related quality of lifeICFOncologyPatient-reported outcomesPROM

Identifiers

PMID42493671
PMCPMC13395993

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.