A review of the use of health status measures in economic evaluation.
OBJECTIVE
To review the use of measures of health status in the assessment of benefits in economic evaluation, whether or not the measures were designed for this purpose.


METHODS
The review was based on a systematic search of the literature. It provides a comprehensive assessment of the evidence where it exists and a balanced overview of opinion otherwise.


RESULTS
Over 3000 papers were identified, of which 632 were found to be relevant. The review provides a set of recommendations. These include: a checklist of questions for selecting a measure for use in economic evaluation; a list of circumstances in which non-preference-based measures can be used; and recommendations surrounding the use of health state valuation techniques and multi-attribute utility scales.


CONCLUSIONS
These recommendations should help to identify poor economic evaluations and hence guard against inefficient conclusions being drawn regarding the provision of health services.
Brazier
J
J
Sheffield Health Economics Group, University of Sheffield, UK.
Deverill
M
M
Green
C
C
D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012107:Research Design; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology