IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/hlthec/v14y2005i1p39-53.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Are QALYs based on time trade‐off comparable? – A systematic review of TTO methodologies

Author

Listed:
  • Trude Arnesen
  • Mari Trommald

Abstract

A wide range of methods is used to elicit quality‐of‐life weights of different health states to generate ‘Quality‐adjusted life years’ (QALYs). The comparability between different types of health outcomes at a numerical level is the main advantage of using a ‘common currency for health’ such as the QALY. It has been warned that results of different methods and perspectives should not be directly compared in QALY league tables. But do we know that QALYs are comparable if they are based on the same method and perspective? The Time trade‐off (TTO) consists in a hypothetical trade‐off between living shorter and living healthier. We performed a literature review of the TTO methodology used to elicit quality‐of‐life weights for own, current health. Fifty‐six journal articles, with quality‐of‐life weights assigned to 102 diagnostic groups were included. We found extensive differences in how the TTO question was asked. The time frame varied from 1 month to 30 years, and was not reported for one‐fourth of the weights. The samples in which the quality‐of‐life weights were elicited were generally small with a median size of 53 respondents. Comprehensive inclusion criteria were given for half the diagnostic groups. Co‐morbidity was described in less than one‐tenth of the groups of respondents. For two‐thirds of the quality‐of‐life weights, there was no discussion of the influence of other factors, such as age, sex, employment and children. The different methodological approaches did not influence the TTO weights in a predictable or clear pattern. Whether or not it is possible to standardise the TTO method and the sampling procedure, and whether or not the TTO will then give valid quality‐of‐life weights, remains an open question. This review of the TTO elicited on own behalf, shows that limiting cost–utility analysis to include only quality life weights from one method and one perspective is not enough to ensure that QALYs are comparable. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Trude Arnesen & Mari Trommald, 2005. "Are QALYs based on time trade‐off comparable? – A systematic review of TTO methodologies," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(1), pages 39-53, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:14:y:2005:i:1:p:39-53
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.895
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.895
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/hec.895?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Han Bleichrodt & Magnus Johannesson, 1997. "The Validity of QALYs," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 17(1), pages 21-32, February.
    2. Peter J. Neumann & Darren E. Zinner & Janice C. Wright, 1997. "Are Methods for Estimating QALYs in Cost-Effectiveness Analyses Improving?," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 17(4), pages 402-408, October.
    3. Dolan, Paul & Sutton, Matthew, 1997. "Mapping visual analogue scale health state valuations onto standard gamble and time trade-off values," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 44(10), pages 1519-1530, May.
    4. Dennis G. Fryback & Erik J. Dasbach & Ronald Klein & Barbara E.K. Klein & Norma Dorn & Kathy Peterson & Patrica A. Martin, 1993. "The Beaver Dam Health Outcomes study," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 13(2), pages 89-102, June.
    5. Leslie A. Lenert & Daniel J. Cher & Mary K. Goldstein & Merlynn R. Bergen & Alan Garber, 1998. "The Effect of Search Procedures on Utility Elicitations," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 18(1), pages 76-83, January.
    6. Peter A. Ubel & George Loewenstein & Dennis Scanlon & Mark Kamlet, 1996. "Individual Utilities Are Inconsistent with Rationing Choices," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 16(2), pages 108-116, June.
    7. Peep F. M. Stalmeier & M. K. Goldstein & A. M. Holmes & L. Lenert & J. Miyamoto & A. M. Stiggelbout & G. W. Torrance & J. Tsevat, 2001. "What Should Be Reported in a Methods Section on Utility Assessment?," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 21(3), pages 200-207, May.
    8. J. Kenneth Buckingham & Jennifer Birdsall & John Graham Douglas, 1996. "Comparing Three Versions of the Time Tradeoff," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 16(4), pages 335-347, October.
    9. Robinson, Angela & Dolan, Paul & Williams, Alan, 1997. "Valuing health status using VAS and TTO: What lies behind the numbers?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 45(8), pages 1289-1297, October.
    10. Chaim M. Bell & Richard H. Chapman & Patricia W. Stone & Eileen A. Sandberg & Peter J. Neumann, 2001. "An Off-the-Shelf Help List," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 21(4), pages 288-294, August.
    11. Dolan, P. & Gudex, C. & Kind, P. & Williams, A., 1996. "Valuing health states: A comparison of methods," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 209-231, April.
    12. J. Leighton Read & Robert J. Quinn & Donald M. Berwick & Harvey V. Fineberg & Milton C. Weinstein, 1984. "Preferences for Health Outcomes," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 4(3), pages 315-329, August.
    13. Floyd J. Fowler JR. & Paul D. Cleary & Michael P. Massagli & Joel Weissman & Arnold Epstein, 1995. "The Role of Reluctance to Give Up life in the Measurement of the Values of Health states," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 15(3), pages 195-200, August.
    14. Nord, Erik, 1992. "Methods for quality adjustment of life years," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 559-569, March.
    15. Anne M. Stiggelbout & J.C.J.M. De Haes & Gwendoline M. Kiebert & Job Kievit & Jan-Willem H. Leer, 1996. "Tradeoffs between Quality and Quantity of Life," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 16(2), pages 184-192, June.
    16. Anand, Sudhir & Hanson, Kara, 1997. "Disability-adjusted life years: a critical review," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(6), pages 685-702, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Arthur Attema & Werner Brouwer, 2012. "The way that you do it? An elaborate test of procedural invariance of TTO, using a choice-based design," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 13(4), pages 491-500, August.
    2. F. E. van Nooten & X. Koolman & W. B. F. Brouwer, 2009. "The influence of subjective life expectancy on health state valuations using a 10 year TTO," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(5), pages 549-558, May.
    3. Bas Janssen & Mark Oppe & Matthijs Versteegh & Elly Stolk, 2013. "Introducing the composite time trade-off: a test of feasibility and face validity," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 14(1), pages 5-13, July.
    4. Louis S. Matza & Kristina S. Boye & David H. Feeny & Lee Bowman & Joseph A. Johnston & Katie D. Stewart & Kelly McDaniel & Jessica Jordan, 2016. "The time horizon matters: results of an exploratory study varying the timeframe in time trade-off and standard gamble utility elicitation," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 17(8), pages 979-990, November.
    5. Louis Matza & Sandhya Sapra & John Dillon & Anupama Kalsekar & Evan Davies & Mary Devine & Jessica Jordan & Amanda Landrian & David Feeny, 2015. "Health state utilities associated with attributes of treatments for hepatitis C," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 16(9), pages 1005-1018, December.
    6. Fanni Rencz & Peep F. M. Stalmeier & Márta Péntek & Valentin Brodszky & Gábor Ruzsa & Lóránt Gönczi & Károly Palatka & László Herszényi & Eszter Schäfer & János Banai & Mariann Rutka & László Gulácsi , 2019. "Patient and general population values for luminal and perianal fistulising Crohn’s disease health states," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 20(1), pages 91-100, June.
    7. José M. Labeaga & Xisco Oliver & Amedeo Spadaro, "undated". "Measuring Changes in Health Capital," Working Papers 2005-15, FEDEA.
    8. Julie Ratcliffe & Terry Flynn & Frances Terlich & Katherine Stevens & John Brazier & Michael Sawyer, 2012. "Developing Adolescent-Specific Health State Values for Economic Evaluation," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 30(8), pages 713-727, August.
    9. Floortje Nooten & Jan Busschbach & Michel Agthoven & Job Exel & Werner Brouwer, 2018. "What should we know about the person behind a TTO?," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 19(9), pages 1207-1211, December.
    10. Arthur E. Attema & Marieke Krol & Job Exel & Werner B. F. Brouwer, 2018. "New findings from the time trade-off for income approach to elicit willingness to pay for a quality adjusted life year," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 19(2), pages 277-291, March.
    11. Terry Flynn, 2010. "Using Conjoint Analysis and Choice Experiments to Estimate QALY Values," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 28(9), pages 711-722, September.
    12. Jeremy Chancellor & Samuel Aballéa & Alison Lawrence & Rob Sheldon & Sandrine Cure & Juliette Plun-Favreau & Nick Marchant, 2008. "Preferences of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus for Inhaled versus Injectable Insulin Regimens," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 217-234, March.
    13. Arthur Attema & Yvette Edelaar-Peeters & Matthijs Versteegh & Elly Stolk, 2013. "Time trade-off: one methodology, different methods," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 14(1), pages 53-64, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Joshua A. Salomon & Christopher J.L. Murray, 2004. "A multi‐method approach to measuring health‐state valuations," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(3), pages 281-290, March.
    2. Rachel Baker & Angela Robinson, 2004. "Responses to standard gambles: are preferences ‘well constructed’?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(1), pages 37-48, January.
    3. Attema, Arthur E. & Brouwer, Werner B.F., 2012. "A test of independence of discounting from quality of life," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 22-34.
    4. Don Kenkel, 2006. "WTP- and QALY-Based Approaches to Valuing Health for Policy: Common Ground and Disputed Territory," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 34(3), pages 419-437, July.
    5. F. E. van Nooten & X. Koolman & W. B. F. Brouwer, 2009. "The influence of subjective life expectancy on health state valuations using a 10 year TTO," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(5), pages 549-558, May.
    6. Edward C. Mansley & Elamin H. Elbasha, 2003. "Preferences and person trade‐offs: forcing consistency or inconsistency in health‐related quality of life measures?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 12(3), pages 187-198, March.
    7. Suzanne Robinson, 2011. "Test–retest reliability of health state valuation techniques: the time trade off and person trade off," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(11), pages 1379-1391, November.
    8. Han Bleichrodt, 2002. "A new explanation for the difference between time trade‐off utilities and standard gamble utilities," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(5), pages 447-456, July.
    9. Mandy Ryan & Mabelle Amaya‐Amaya, 2005. "‘Threats’ to and hopes for estimating benefits," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(6), pages 609-619, June.
    10. Mônica Viegas Andrade & Kenya Noronha & Paul Kind & Carla de Barros Reis & Lucas Resende de Carvalho, 2016. "Logical Inconsistencies in 3 Preference Elicitation Methods for EQ-5D Health States," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 36(2), pages 242-252, February.
    11. J. Kirsch & A. McGuire, 2000. "Establishing health state valuations for disease specific states: an example from heart disease," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 9(2), pages 149-158, March.
    12. Christine McDonough & Anna Tosteson, 2007. "Measuring Preferences for Cost-Utility Analysis," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 93-106, February.
    13. G. Ardine De Wit & Jan J.V. Busschbach & Frank Th. De Charro, 2000. "Sensitivity and perspective in the valuation of health status: whose values count?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 9(2), pages 109-126, March.
    14. Michaël Schwarzinger & Jean‐Louis Lanoë & Erik Nord & Isabelle Durand‐Zaleski, 2004. "Lack of multiplicative transitivity in person trade‐off responses," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 13(2), pages 171-181, February.
    15. Murray, Christopher J. L. & Acharya, Arnab K., 1997. "Understanding DALYs," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(6), pages 703-730, December.
    16. Paul Anand & Laurence S. J. Roope & Anthony J. Culyer & Ron Smith, 2020. "Disability and multidimensional quality of life: A capability approach to health status assessment," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(7), pages 748-765, July.
    17. Coast, Joanna, 2018. "A history that goes hand in hand: Reflections on the development of health economics and the role played by Social Science & Medicine, 1967–2017," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 227-232.
    18. Damschroder, Laura J. & Zikmund-Fisher, Brian J. & Ubel, Peter A., 2005. "The impact of considering adaptation in health state valuation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(2), pages 267-277, July.
    19. Hirsch Ruchlin & Ralph Insinga, 2008. "A Review of Health-Utility Data for Osteoarthritis," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 26(11), pages 925-935, November.
    20. José‐Luis Pinto‐Prades & José‐María Abellán‐Perpiñán, 2005. "Measuring the health of populations: the veil of ignorance approach," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(1), pages 69-82, January.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:14:y:2005:i:1:p:39-53. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/5749 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.