A new methodological research report is available from the NICE Decision Support Unit based in HEDS. It is “The incorporation of health benefits in cost utility analysis using the EQ-5D” by Allan Wailoo, Sarah Davis and Jonathan Tosh.
The report reviews potential problems with the EQ-5D then uses a series of case studies the examine the performance of EQ-5D and its impact on results. It was found that evidence of problems tended to be based on psychometric tests which provide only circumstantial rather than direct evidence. The case studies also demonstrate that it is important to include all relevant evidence in order to understand the strength of the evidence for any particular claim. So, for example, evidence may come from studies that cover a range of severities not relevant to the intervention under assessment, which can lead to misleading conclusions. As with reviews of clinical evidence, the strengths and weaknesses of studies must be fully appraised.
For further details, contact Jonathan Tosh.
