Modelling utility weights for the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL)-8D.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this paper is to describe the four-stage methodology used to obtain utility scores for the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL)-8D, a 35-item 8 dimension multi-attribute utility instrument, which was created to achieve a high degree of sensitivity to psycho-social health.


METHODS
Data for the analyses were obtained from a representative group of 347 members of the Australian public and from 323 mental health patients each of whom provided VAS and time trade-off valuations of multiple health states. Data were used initially to create multiplicative scoring algorithms for each of the instrument's 8 dimensions and for the overall instrument. Each of the algorithms was then subject to a second-stage econometric 'correction'.


RESULTS
Algorithms were successfully created for each of the AQoL-8D's dimensions, for physical and mental 'super-dimensions' and for the overall AQoL-8D instrument. The final AQoL-8D algorithm has good predictive power with respect to the TTO valuations.


CONCLUSIONS
The AQoL-8D is a suitable instrument for researchers conducting cost utility analyses generally but, in particular, for the analysis of services affecting psycho-social health.
Faculty of Business and Economics, Centre for Health Economics, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia, jeffrey.richardson@monash.edu.
Jeff
J
Richardson
Kompal
K
Sinha
Angelo
A
Iezzi
Munir A
MA
Khan
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D001315:Australia; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult