UceWeb: a web-based collaborative tool for collecting and sharing quality of life data

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Patient-Reported Outcomes
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Quality-of-life (QoL) data, specifically utility coefficients, are crucial for healthcare decision-making.
• Existing methods for eliciting QoL data can be fragmented and lack systematic storage for future research.
• There is a need for a centralized repository to facilitate cost-utility analyses and population-specific QoL studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a platform for systematic elicitation and storage of quality-of-life utility data.
• To create a public repository of utility coefficients linked to patient profiles for future research.
• To support studies on specific target populations, such as cost/utility analyses.

Main Methods:

• Developed a web-based application, UceWeb, incorporating utility theory and user-centered design.
• Implemented standard gamble, time trade-off, and rating-scale utility elicitation methods.
• Conducted a pilot validation study with 20 atrial fibrillation patients.

Main Results:

• Successfully developed and tested the UceWeb collaborative platform.
• The platform offers flexible interaction modes for doctors and patients to enhance comfort during utility elicitation.
• Each elicited utility value contributes to the growing data repository.

Conclusions:

• UceWeb provides a unique data source for reliable comparisons of healthcare interventions.
• The platform supports the development of statistical models for deeper understanding of quality-of-life data.
• Facilitates advanced research in health economics and patient-centered outcomes.