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Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods
Published on: September 19, 2012
Head-to-head comparison of health-state values derived by a probabilistic choice model and scores on a visual
Paul F M Krabbe1, Elly A Stolk2, Nancy J Devlin3
1Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands. p.f.m.krabbe@umcg.nl.
Background:
Health states were quantified based on discrete choice (DC) modeling and visual analogue scale (VAS) values using the five-level version of the EQ-5D (EQ-5D-5L). The aim of this study was to determine the extent of the relationship between DC derived values (indirect method) and VAS values (direct method).
Methods:
Data were collected in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. Respondents were asked to perform paired comparisons between two EQ-5D-5L health states for DC. In total, 400 different EQ-5D-5L states were included. After each DC task, respondents were prompted to score the two states one after another on a VAS. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated between DC and VAS values and illuminating graphs were designed.
Results:
Approximately 400 respondents participated from each country. High similarity [individual intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) >0.85] of DC and moderate correspondence of VAS values were observed for the four countries. Cross-country comparison of DC values shows a nonlinear relationship to the VAS values.
Conclusion:
EQ-5D-5L derived DC and VAS values show a close but nonlinear relationship. Given the obvious biases associated with the VAS, DC methods based on ordinal responses may be a better alternative.
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