The Measurement and Valuation of Health Status Using EQ-5D: A European Perspective

Book excerpt: EQ-5D from the EuroQol Group is a standardised, non-disease-specific instrument for describing and valuing health. It is in widespread use in many countries and has been applied in many different settings. EQ-5D is now an integral feature of many clinical trials and is increasingly used in population health surveys. This book reports on the results of the European Union-funded EQ-net project which furthered the development of EQ-5D in the key areas of valuation, application and translation. The primary effort concentrated on harmonising and integrating the results of the various EuroQol valuation projects. Most importantly, the book includes a set of VAS-based preference weights for all the EQ-5D health states based on cross-European EQ-5D data. This book provides the most comprehensive account to date of the EuroQol Group endeavour. It will appeal to clinicians, nurses, health services researchers, health economists, those responsible for audit and quality assurance, public health specialists and managers in health care institutions, and the pharmaceutical industry.