Comparison of Finnish and U.S.-based visual analog scale valuations of the EQ-5D measure

The EQ-5D is a multiattribute health status measure that can be used to derive preference-based index scores for health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) assessment. Valuations for EQ-5D health states using different techniques have been obtained in a number of countries. It is not clear how valuations from different countries compare. Using an ordinary least-squares regression, visual analog scale valuations for EQ-5D health states obtained in postal surveys in Finland and the United States were compared. The regression model estimates indicated that Finnish and U.S. respondents did provide different preference valuations for different levels of health. However, the country-specific differences were not large and depended on the dimension and the level of problem on that dimension. Differences in health-state valuations are unlikely to have important implications when using the EQ-5D in international studies.