title: Health-state utility estimates for health technology assessment: a review of the manufacturers' submissions to the French National Authority for Health.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our aim was to review the selection and methods used for deriving health state utility (HSU) estimates included in the cost-utility analyses (CUA) submitted by manufacturers to the National Authority for Health (HAS) during the first 2 years after the introduction of the economic evaluation for price setting in France.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed all manufacturers' submissions that included a CUA and were assessed by HAS by the end of October 2015 (N = 34). We reviewed the identification, selection, and methods used to estimate HSU and compared them with those recommended by HAS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A literature review to identify HSU was reported in only 13 (38%) submissions. The instruments for describing HSU were a preference-based generic instrument in 20 (59%) submissions; vignettes in five (15%); a condition-specific instrument in three (9%); and a combination of instruments in six (18%). The valuation perspective was the general population in 26 (76%) submissions; in only nine (26%) submissions, the valuation set was derived from the French general population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We identified numerous concerns in the selection, valuation and use of HSU, as well as a frequent lack of clarity in the methods used. Most submissions (79%) included HSU that did not meet HAS recommendations.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Economic and Public Health Evaluation , Haute Autorité de Santé (French National Authority for Health, HAS) , Saint-Denis La Plaine , France.
authors.forename: Françoise F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Hamers
authors.affiliation: a Department of Economic and Public Health Evaluation , Haute Autorité de Santé (French National Authority for Health, HAS) , Saint-Denis La Plaine , France.
authors.forename: Salah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghabri
authors.affiliation: b Cermes3 , Inserm U988 , Villejuif , France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Gales
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000191:economics; D005602:France; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Economic evaluation; France; health-related quality of life; health-state utility; quality-adjusted life-years