title: Utility, decision, and quality of life.
abstract: This paper introduces the notion of utility and its application to the measurement of quality of life. Utility is a general concept for measuring the value individuals attach to the consequences of various courses of action. Its purpose is to guide decision making when the consequences of the alternative decisions cannot be known with certainty. How utility can be applied to clinical decision making is illustrated by example. In addition, utility is compared to other quality of life measures with respect to its scope, its purpose and its interpretation.
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012945:Social Values; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative