Health economics
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Comparative Study
An investigation into the empirical validity of the EQ-5D and SF-6D based on hypothetical preferences in a general population.
An important consideration for studies that derive utility scores using multi-attribute utility measures is the psychometric integrity of the measurement instrument. Of particular importance is the requirement to establish the empirical validity of multi-attribute utility measures; that is, whether they generate utility scores that, in practice, reflect people's preferences. We compared the empirical validity of EQ-5D versus SF-6D utility scores based on hypothetical preferences in a large, representative sample of the English population. ⋯ This study provides evidence that the SF-6D is an empirically valid and efficient alternative multi-attribute utility measure to the EQ-5D, and is capable of discriminating between external indicators of health status. However, health economists should also consider other psychometric properties, such as practicality and reliability, when selecting either measure for evaluative purposes.