Cost-Effectiveness Resources

HRQL

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) scores are used to measure the effects of a disease on a person's quality of life. The Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine recommends that these scores be obtained using "generic preference weighted instruments." That just means that they should be obtained using an instrument that is applicable to all diseases (generic) and should reflect the health preferences of a community sample. If this still sounds like gibberish, see the textbook.

At present, there are few available indexes of HRQL scores that can be used in cost-effectiveness analysis. However, the Medical Expenditure Survey (MEPS) contains the EuroQol instrument. The use of the MEPS unfortunately requires some statistical expertise. The textbook lists values for a number of diseases and conditions. The CEA Registry (click on "Catalog of Preference Scores") also maintains a list of scores obtained from the medical literature.

Your best bet is still to calculate values yourself using one of the generic preference-weighted instruments available here. (This is a private site with both public use and restricted access with which I have no affiliation .)