Tools for surveying and improving the quality of life: people with special needs in focus

Abstract

Purpose

This article seeks to describe online tools for surveying and improving quality of life for people with disabilities living in assisted living centers and special education service organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Ensuring a decent quality of life for disabled people is an important welfare state goal. Using well‐accepted quality of life conceptions, online diagnostic and planning tools were developed during an Institute for Education, University of Zurich, research project.

Findings

The diagnostic tools measure, evaluate and analyze disabled people's quality of life. The planning tools identify factors that can affect their quality of life and suggest improvements.

Research limitations/implications

Instrument validity and reliability are not tested according to the standard statistical procedures. This will be done at a more advanced stage of the project. Instead, the tool is developed, refined and adjusted in cooperation with practitioners who are constantly judging it according to best practice standards.

Practical implications

The tools support staff in assisted living centers and special education service organizations.

Originality/value

These tools offer comprehensive resources for surveying, quantifying, evaluating, describing and simulating quality of life elements.

Citation

Hoyningen‐Süess, U., Oberholzer, D., Stalder, R. and Brügger, U. (2012), "Tools for surveying and improving the quality of life: people with special needs in focus", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 25 No. 7, pp. 592-603. https://doi.org/10.1108/09526861211261190