Health-related quality-of-life and health-utility reporting in critical care

Table 1 Indirect methods for measuring patient-based preferences mapped on a health-utility scale via a generic health-related quality-of-life questionnaire

Utility measurement	Questionnaire description	Levels and health states	Tariff weighting acquisition	Information	Range of health-utility scores
European quality of life five dimensions (EQ-5D)	Five dimensions (mobility; self-care; usual activities; pain/discomfort; anxiety/depression)	5 levels; 3125 health states	Sample of European general population (n = 3395); time trade off valuation; hypothetical scenarios	Mostly used in continental Europe and the United Kingdom	-0.59 to 1.00
Short Form-36 (SF-36)	Ten physical (physical function, physical role limitations, bodily pain, general health perceptions, energy/vitality) and mental health (social functioning, emotional role limitations and mental health) dimensions	4-6 levels; approximately 18000 health states	Sample of United Kingdom general population (n = 611); standard gamble valuation; hypothetical scenarios	Shorter versions available and applicable to SF-12 and SF-6D	0.30 to 1.00
Health utilities index mark 3 (HUI-3)	Eight dimensions (vision; hearing; speech; ambulation; dexterity; emotion; cognition; pain)	5-6 levels; approximately 972000 health states	Representative sample of adults in Ontario, Canada (n = 504); visual analogue scale transformed into standard gamble; hypothetical scenarios	Closely related adaptation of HUI-2, with a more detailed descriptive system; mostly used in Canada	−0.36 to 1.00

EQ-5D: EuroQoL-5 domains; HUI: Health utility index mark; ICU: Intensive care unit; QALY: Quality-adjusted life year; QoL: Quality of life; SF-12: Short form-12; SF-36: Short form-36; SF-6D: Short form-6 domains.