Along with Melanie Merriman, Byock developed the Missoula-VITAS Quality of Life Index, a clinical assessment tool designed to measure subjective quality of life in persons with serious illness. The index was intended to fill a gap in clinical assessment tools, which at the time were mostly focused on physiological indicators or observable function, rather than on subjective evaluations of well-being and suffering.
Byock, along with Melanie Merriman, developed the Missoula-VITAS Quality of Life Index, a clinical evaluation instrument intended to assess the subjective quality of life in individuals dealing with serious illnesses. This index aimed to complement existing assessment tools that mainly focused on physiological indicators or observable capabilities, rather than subjective evaluations of overall well-being and distress.