Description

The EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D) is a widely used tool for evaluating patients’ quality of life and health status. It was developed by the EuroQol Group and is applied in various health surveys and clinical settings to measure general health conditions.

The EQ-5D consists of two main parts. The EQ-5D-5L is a questionnaire assessing five key dimensions of health: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Each dimension is rated on five severity levels: no problems, slight problems, moderate problems, severe problems, and extreme problems. The EQ VAS (Visual Analog Scale) is a visual scale where participants rate their overall health from 0 (worst imaginable health state) to 100 (best imaginable health state).

Objective

The primary objective of the EQ-5D is to assess quality of life from the patients’ perspective and record the impact of various medical conditions and treatments. It provides data that support the evaluation of the effectiveness of therapies and interventions. It allows comparison of quality of life across different patient groups or populations and at different time points. It is also used in research to study health status and its effects across various medical and social contexts.

Scoring

Scoring the EQ-5D involves collecting responses from participants regarding the five health dimensions and their overall health rating using the visual analog scale. Scores for each dimension are calculated based on participants’ answers. An overall quality-of-life score can be derived using the standardized values and specifications of the EQ-5D-5L system. The EQ VAS offers an additional measure of a person’s general health condition.

Analysis

The analysis of EQ-5D results includes evaluating scores across the five health dimensions and assessing the impact of medical conditions or treatments on quality of life. The general health status is examined through the visual analog scale and compared with the dimension-based assessments of the EQ-5D. The findings are used to develop strategies for intervention and treatment, such as improving health conditions or introducing new therapies.

References

EuroQol Group (1990). “EuroQol—a new facility for the measurement of health-related quality of life.” Health Policy, 16(3), 199–208.
Brooks, R. (1996). “EuroQol: the current state of play.” Health Policy, 37(1), 53–72.
Dolan, P. (1997). “Modeling valuations for EuroQol health states.” Medical Care, 35(11), 1095–1108.
Schneider, M., & Riedel, M. (2016). “The use of EQ-5D in health economics and outcomes research.” Health Economics Review, 6(1), 11.