Is the VAS Quality of Life Assessment Tool Sensitive to Both Male and Female MCSD Patients

The VAS quality of life (QOL) assessment tool is an expected measure for Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices, (MCSD) patients. This assessment is given to patients at Interagency Registry of Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) time points: 3 months, 6 months and every 6 months thereafter. In previous work, we found a gender difference in perceived QOL of caregivers. Women demonstrated greater QOL burden than men in caring for loved ones who had MCSD. It is not clear if this gender difference occurs in MCSD patients. Therefore, we sought to explore the gender perceptions of QOL in a single center MCSD patient populations using the VAS QOL tool.