Valuation of EQ-5D-5L health states: a comparison of seven Asian populations

Objectives: To compare the time trade-off (TTO) utility values of EQ-5D-5L health states elicited from different general populations in Asia. Methods: We analyzed the TTO data from seven Asian EQ-5D-5L valuation studies in which utility values of 86 EQ-5D-5L health states were elicited from general population samples. An eight-parameter multiplicative regression model including five dimension parameters (mobility [MO], self-care, usual activities [UA], pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression) and three level parameters (level 2 [L2], level 3 [L3], and level 4 [L4]) was used to model the data from each of the populations. The model coefficients were compared to understand how the valuations of EQ-5D-5L health states differ. Results: For dimension parameters, Korea and Indonesia generally had the highest and lowest values among the populations, respectively; UA and MO commonly had the highest and lowest values among the parameters, respectively. For level parameters, Singapore and Korea generally had the highest and lowest values, respectively; L2 showed less variance compared to L3 and L4. Koreans, Indonesians, and Singaporeans appeared to have different health preferences compared with other populations. Conclusion: Utility values of EQ-5D-5L health states differ among Asian populations, suggesting that each health system should establish and use its own value set.