Views of the UK General Public on Important Aspects of Health Not Captured by EQ-5D

Introduction: The EQ-5D is a standardised instrument designed for use as a generic measure of health outcome. It was (and is) intended to provide information about a ‘common core’ of dimensions known to be relevant across a range of conditions; however, the five dimensions may not fully capture the health-related impacts of certain conditions. This study analyses the views of the UK general public about important aspects of health considered to be missing from the instrument.
Methods: Survey respondents were asked whether there are any aspects of health they consider to be important but are not captured by the EQ-5D, and, if so, what these aspects are. The responses (text comments) were analysed using content analysis with analyst triangulation. Data were collected from a broadly representative sample of the general public via a paper questionnaire administered as part of face-to-face interviews.
Results: Data are available for 436 respondents, 179 of whom suggested aspects of health they considered important but not captured by the five EQ-5D dimensions. These were organised into 22 themes. Sensory deprivation and mental health were the health aspects most commonly mentioned by respondents.
Conclusions: Respondents identified several important aspects of health that are not covered by the EQ-5D descriptive system. This study can provide the basis for more detailed qualitative and quantitative research—in particular to examine the views of different patient groups—to inform further review of the EQ-5D descriptive system. The results also have implications for the sensitivity of other generic measures.