New HEDS Discussion Paper - Applying EuroQol Portable Valuation Technology to the EQ Health and Wellbeing Short (EQHWB-S) : a pilot study. Report.

Mukuria, C, Peasgood, T. and Brazier, J. (2021) Applying EuroQol Portable Valuation Technology to the EQ Health and Wellbeing Short (EQHWB-S) : a pilot study. Report. ScHARR HEDS Discussion Papers . School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield

Read and download the Discussion paper here

HEDS Discussion Paper

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:The aim was to assess whether existing valuation methods were suitable for the nine item EQ Health and Wellbeing ShortTM (EQ‐HWB‐S).

METHODS: EuroQol Portable Valuation Technology (EQ‐PVT) which uses composite time trade‐off (cTTO) and discrete choice experiments (DCE) was modified for the EQ‐HWB‐STM. Volunteer non‐ academic University of Sheffield staff were recruited. A mixed methods approach involving qualitative interviews and assessment of quantitative data was used to assess the applicability and feasibility of EQ‐PVT to EQ‐HWB‐S. Participants valued six states using cTTO (three EQ‐HWB‐S and three EQ‐5D‐ 5LTM) and four EQ‐HWB‐S states using DCE.

RESULTS: Nineteen participants with mean (SD) age 48.2 (13.0) were interviewed. Mean TTO values were ordered as expected with higher mean values for the mild EQ‐HWB state compared to the moderate and severe states. Most participants found it fairly or very easy to understand cTTO questions for both EQ‐HWB‐S 94.7% (18/19) and EQ‐5D 89.5% (17/19). Pain, activities and depression were considered key drivers for respondents’ choices. Additional information in the EQ‐HWB‐S was useful in helping to imagine what life would be like but it could also be overwhelming and make the tasks difficult. ‘Coping’ was a problematic item as it was either used as an overall assessment of the state or ignored in favour of participants’ perceived ability to cope with the state. ‘Coping’ was replaced with ‘control’ which did not have the same problems. Participants generally preferred DCE to TTO. DCE presentations with overlap but with simple formatting were preferred.

CONCLUSIONS: A modified standardised valuation has been successfully applied to health and wellbeing states defined by the EQ‐HWB‐S. A full feasibility study is now required.

Extending the QALY (Quality-Adjusted Life Year) project - EuroQol funded International Psychometric Surveys

Tessa Peasgood

Tessa Peasgood and Clara Mukuria are involved in a project which replicates a psychometric survey and analysis conducted in the UK, as part of the development of a new quality of life measure. The aim of this additional project is to enable the new measure to have greater international relevance and validity.

Five separate projects are being funded by the EuroQol Research Foundation with research teams based in USA, Australia, China/Singapore, Germany and Argentina.

The data collection for this project is being coordinated by Accent in the UK and the University of Sheffield. Data collection is occurring in USA, Australia, China, Germany and Argentina. Analysis of the data is a collaboration across all six countries, coordinated from the University of Sheffield.

This additional project is important as it will enable greater international evidence to be incorporated into the design of the new quality of life measure being developed within the Extending the QALY (Quality-Adjusted Life Year) project.

Clara Mukuria

For further information about the Extending the QALY project please go to:

https://scharr.dept.shef.ac.uk/e-qaly/about-the-project/