Interview with: Ivan Barofsky, PhD
The Quality of Life Institute
Ivan Barofsky, PhD, ISOQOL member since the second year of the Society’s formation and former ISOQOL President, received the 2021 President’s Award for his work in advancing health related quality of life (HRQL) research and his outstanding contributions to ISOQOL. This award is a testament to Dr. Barofsky’s career and the impact he has made on professionals in the field of HRQL research.
“It focuses attention on the impact on treatment and its consequence on people,” said Dr. Barofsky when asked what he loves most about HRQL research. “It provides an insight on the optimal design of medical intervention. ISOQOL is most useful when it contributes to the natural interest in quality of life.”
Dr. Barofsky is currently retired from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Among his many publications is the book Quality: Its Definition and Measurement as Applied to the Medically Ill, published in 2011. Dr. Barofsky has also served as the Program Director for Continuing Care in the Community Oncology Program at the National Cancer Institute prior to joining Hopkins.
This prestigious award recognizes Dr. Barofsky’s work woven throughout the Society. Some of these accomplishments include serving on the Clinical Significance Consensus Meeting Group and being elected the fifth President of ISOQOL in 2001.
“This award is an acknowledgment of having made a significant contribution to the quality of life research literature,” said Dr. Barofsky. He initially joined ISOQOL due to becoming immersed in the literature and getting to know others in the Society. Dr. Barofsky noted that it took a long time for him to recognize the work he did in the HRQL field, even after others had recognized it.
The President’s Award was presented by ISOQOL Past President, Lori Frank, PhD, during the Virtual Annual Conference in October 2021.
Dr. Barofsky has thanked the ISOQOL Board and Past President Lori Frank for recognizing his work and nominating him for this award. He also has acknowledged the previous recipients of the President’s Award in his 2021 acceptance speech.
Recently, Dr. Barofsky has been learning and trying to integrate quality of life (QOL) into his life at 86 years old. In his spare time, he enjoys talking to QOL researchers and gardening.
This newsletter editorial represents the views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of ISOQOL.
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The International Society for Quality of Life Research (ISOQOL) is a global community of researchers, clinicians, health care professionals, industry professionals, consultants, and patient research partners advancing health related quality of life research (HRQL).
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