title: Utility Scores In Patients With Oxygen-Dependent COPD: A Case-Control Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Utility measures that summarize the health-related quality of life of an individual using a single number usually between 0 (death) and 1 (full health) are useful to quantify the benefits of health care interventions in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and to help prioritizing limited health resources from cost-effectiveness analyses among patients with different health conditions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine utility scores in patients with oxygen-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with oxygen-dependent COPD (the cases) were matched, on a 1:2 basis, to COPD controls according to gender, age (± 5 years) and FEV1 (±5% predicted). Utility scores were obtained from the SF-6D, a measure derived from the SF-36.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From a cohort of 102 patients with oxygen-dependent COPD, 68 (42 men; mean age: 71 years; mean FEV1: 35% predicted) were successfully matched with 136 controls. We found clinically and statistically significant differences in mean utility scores between cases (0.588 ± 0.071) and controls (0.627 ± 0.085; p = 0.001). The same differences were observed in men and women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oxygen-dependence adds to the burden of disease in terms of quality of life. These utility scores may be useful in cost-utility analyses involving patients with oxygen-dependent COPD.
authors.affiliation: a Centre de Recherche, Hôpital Laval , Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de l'Université Laval , Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lacasse
authors.affiliation: a Centre de Recherche, Hôpital Laval , Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de l'Université Laval , Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.affiliation: a Centre de Recherche, Hôpital Laval , Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de l'Université Laval , Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: a Centre de Recherche, Hôpital Laval , Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de l'Université Laval , Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boivin
authors.affiliation: a Centre de Recherche, Hôpital Laval , Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de l'Université Laval , Québec , Canada.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maltais
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Case control study; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; oxygen dependent; utility scores