Clin Exp Rheumatol
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Comparative Study
A comparison of utility measurement using EQ-5D and SF-6D preference-based generic instruments in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
The purposes of this study were to analyse and compare aspects of validity (concurrent and discriminant) of the two widely used indirect utility instruments, the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) and the Short Form-6D (SF-6D) in a representative cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ Although EQ-5D and SF-6D appeared to measure similar constructs, these instruments are quite different from each other in the assessment of RA. For worse health status the median EQ-5D scores were significantly lower than the median SF-6D scores. Moreover, EQ-5D and SF-6D appeared both significantly influenced by disease activity, radiological damage and co-morbidity. For that reason, we advise caution in the employment of these preference-based instruments, especially in RA patients with severe disease.