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Quality-adjusted life year
The quality-adjusted life year (QALY) is a generic measure of disease burden, including both the quality and the quantity of life lived.[1][2] It is used in economic evaluation to assess the value of medical interventions.[1] One QALY equates to one year in perfect health.[2] QALY scores range from 1 (perfect health) to 0 (dead).[3] QALYs can be used to inform health insurance coverage determinations, treatment decisions, to evaluate programs, and to set priorities for future programs.[3]
Critics argue that the QALY oversimplifies how actual patients would assess risks and outcomes, and that its use may restrict patients with disabilities from accessing treatment.[4] Proponents of the measure acknowledge that the QALY has some shortcomings, but that its ability to quantify tradeoffs and opportunity costs from the patient, and societal perspective make it a critical tool for equitably allocating resources.[4]
- ^ a b "Judging whether public health interventions offer value for money". National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. September 2013. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
- ^ a b "Glossary". National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Retrieved 2017-05-30.
- ^ a b Weinstein, Milton C.; Torrance, George; McGuire, Alistair (2009). "QALYs: The Basics". Value in Health. 12: S5 – S9. doi:10.1111/j.1524-4733.2009.00515.x. ISSN 1098-3015. PMID 19250132.
- ^ a b Whitehead, Sarah J.; Ali, Shehzad. "Health outcomes in economic evaluation: the QALY and utilities". academic.oup.com. doi:10.1093/bmb/ldq033. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
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