Accuracy of health-related quality of life assessment: What is the benefitof incorporating patients' preferences for domain functioning?

This study investigated the accuracy benefit of incorporating patients' pre ferences for domains of functioning into health-related quality of life (HR QOL) measurement. Using policy-capturing techniques, 102 medical outpatient s judged the HRQOL of 16 scenarios describing varying levels of functioning in 3 domains. For each participant, regression analysis determined relativ e domain preferences and 2 decision models were built: one incorporating (p reference-weighted) and one ignoring (equally weighted) domain preferences. To assess accuracy, the average proportion of judgment variance accounted or by each model was determined and both accounted for approximately 50%. H owever, for patients showing the greatest differences in importance across domains, the preference-weighted model was more accurate. Findings are disc ussed in the context of enhancing HRQOL assessment.