Quality of life as a vital clinical sign.

Hypertension is a significant public health problem in the United States. Despite this, many patients fail to seek or comply with treatment, owing to potential adverse effects on the patient's quality of life (QOL). This paper reports on the development and evaluation of an instrument for evaluating the QOL of black patients who are being treated for hypertension. The scale proved highly reliable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.949), and correlated well with lengthier instruments for assessing QOL. Results are presented from administration of the questionnaire to 998 patients.