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Alternative approaches to derive disability weights in injuries: do they make a difference?
Juanita A Haagsma1, S Polinder, E F van Beeck
1Institute for Health Policy and Management, Erasmus Medical Center, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. juanita.haagsma@rivm.nl
Summary
The annual profile model (APM) is preferred for burden of injury studies, especially for mild conditions, as the standard QALY/DALY model (SQM) may overestimate disability weights. APM may underestimate severe injury impacts.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Disability weights are crucial for calculating Years Lived with Disability (YLD) in burden of disease studies.
- Two methods, the standard QALY/DALY model (SQM) and the annual profile model (APM), are used to assess these weights.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify disability weights for injury consequences using two competing approaches: SQM and APM.
- To compare the YLD estimates derived from SQM and APM.
Main Methods:
- Disability weights were assessed using EQ-5D data from 8,564 injury patients surveyed at 2.5, 5, and 9 months post-Emergency Department visit.
- Patient data preferences were valued by 143 laymen using the time trade-off method.
Main Results:
- SQM consistently yielded higher disability weights compared to APM.
- YLD calculated using SQM was over three times higher than with APM, with a six-fold increase for mild, short-duration injuries.
Conclusions:
- APM is recommended for burden of injury studies involving mild, rapidly resolving conditions to avoid overestimation by SQM.
- APM may underestimate the impact of severe injuries.
