Valuing quality of life: results for New Zealand health professionals

Aims. To illustrate the means by which health state preferences, which are required in the calculation of QALYs, may be generated. To elicit health st ate values from a sample of New Zealand health professionals, and to compar e these with those evident from a sample of health professionals and of the general population overseas. Methods. This research employed a questionnaire (EQ-5D) developed by the Eu roQol group which elicits preferences for health states described in terms of three levels within each of five dimensions of health-related quality of life. This questionnaire was administered to groups of students enrolled i n a postgraduate Diploma of Public Health course in Auckland (1993-1995), W ellington and Dunedin (1993-1998), and Christchurch (1993-1997). Results. The health state preferences for the New Zealand sample are simila r to those evident for samples of health professionals in Sweden and, to a lesser extent, those evident from a sample of the English general public. Conclusions. The EQ-5D represents a means of readily eliciting health state preferences in the form required to facilitate cost utility analysis. Furt her research is required in New Zealand to generate a "tariff" of health st ate preferences from the general public across all health states and to exp lore hypotheses specific to New Zealand, including the possibility that the re may be significant differences between Maori and non-Maori with regards to health state preferences.