title: Condition-specific preference-based measures: benefit or burden?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Some argue that generic preference-based measures (PBMs) are not sensitive to certain disease-specific improvements. To overcome this problem, new condition-specific PBMs (CS-PBMs) are being developed, but it is not yet clear how such measures compare with existing generic PBMs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We generated CS-PBMs from three condition-specific questionnaires (Health Assessment Questionnaire for arthritis, Quality of Life Questionnaire for Cancer 30 for cancer, and Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale 29 for multiple sclerosis). First, the questionnaires were reduced in content, and then, a time trade-off study was conducted in the general public (N = 402) to obtain weights associated with the dimensions and levels of the new questionnaire. Finally, we compared utilities obtained by using the CS-PBMs with utilities obtained by using the EuroQol five-dimensional (EQ-5D) questionnaire in four data sets.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Utility values generated by the CS-PBMs were higher than those of the EQ-5D questionnaire. The Health Assessment Questionnaire-based measure for arthritis proved to be insensitive to comorbidities. Measures based on the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale 29 and the Quality of Life Questionnaire for Cancer 30 discriminated comorbidities and side effect equally well as the EQ-5D questionnaire and were more sensitive than the EQ-5D questionnaire for mild impairments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The introduction of PBMs that are specific to a certain disease may have the merit of sensitivity to disease-specific effects of interventions. That gain, however, is traded off to the loss of comparability of utility values and, in some cases, insensitivity to side effects and comorbidity. The use of a CS-PBM for cost-utility analysis is warranted only under strict conditions.
authors.affiliation: iMTA/iBMG, Institute of Health Policy and Management/Institute for Medical Technology Assessment, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. versteegh@bmg.eur.nl
authors.forename: Matthijs M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Versteegh
authors.forename: Annemieke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leunis
authors.forename: Carin A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Uyl-de Groot
authors.forename: Elly A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Stolk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis; D009369:Neoplasms; D009426:Netherlands; D057240:Patient Preference; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult