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The impact of using different tariffs to value EQ-5D health state descriptions: an example from a study of acute cough/lower respiratory tract infections in seven countries

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Abstract

When using the EQ-5D in European cross-national studies, there is no consensus over whether the European value set (EVS), country specific value sets (CVS) or UK value set (UKVS) should be used. Data on health outcomes were collected in 7 countries. EQ-5D index scores were generated for each country using all three value sets. QALYs gained over 4 weeks based on EQ-5D scores were also generated in order to investigate the implications for cost-utility analysis. EQ-5D scores obtained using the EVS were similar to values obtained using the CVS and UKVS in all countries. CVS-based EQ-5D scores were on average associated with a smaller baseline-to-week 4 change/improvement in all countries (except in Wales and Belgium) while UKVS-based EQ-5D scores showed the largest improvement over the same period for every country. With regards to cost-utility analysis, the results suggest that in most countries (with the exception of Belgium and Finland), using different tariffs to value EQ-5D would not have made a difference to the decisions based on the results of cost-utility analysis.

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Acknowledgments

This study was undertaken alongside the Genomics to combat resistance to antibiotics in community acquired lower respiratory tract infections in Europe (GRACE) study, which is funded by the European Union Framework 6 Programme. Reference number LSHM-CT-2005-518226.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Economics Unit, School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, Public Health Building, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK

    Raymond Oppong, Billingsley Kaambwa & Joanna Coast

  2. South East Wales Trials Unit, Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University Neuadd Merionnydd, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4YS, UK

    Jacqueline Nuttall & Kerenza Hood

  3. Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK

    Richard D. Smith

Authors
  1. Raymond Oppong
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  2. Billingsley Kaambwa
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  4. Kerenza Hood
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  5. Richard D. Smith
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  6. Joanna Coast
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Correspondence to Raymond Oppong.

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This study is conducted on behalf of the GRACE-01 Study Team.

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Oppong, R., Kaambwa, B., Nuttall, J. et al. The impact of using different tariffs to value EQ-5D health state descriptions: an example from a study of acute cough/lower respiratory tract infections in seven countries. Eur J Health Econ 14, 197–209 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-011-0360-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-011-0360-9

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