- Since 2008, our preferred measure of health-related quality of life in adults has been EQ‑5D. For most of that time, there has been only 1 version of the descriptive system, EQ‑5D‑3L. In this version, respondents rate their degree of impairment in different health domains using 3 response levels (no problems, some problems and extreme problems). The EuroQol Group has created a new descriptive system, EQ‑5D‑5L, with 5 response levels (no problems, slight problems, moderate problems, severe problems and extreme problems). EQ‑5D‑5L was designed to be more sensitive than EQ‑5D‑3L.
Position statement
- We do not recommend using the EQ-5D-5L value set for England published by Devlin et al. (2018). Companies, academic groups and others preparing evidence submissions for NICE should use the 3L value set for reference-case analyses.
Expert advice
- In 2019 we commissioned 4 independent experts to provide advice on the EQ-5D-5L value set for England. This was funded by an unrestricted grant from EuroQol. To inform the experts EuroQol analysed interviewer effects in the valuation study for England. If you'd like a copy of the clarification questions and responses from the expert advice process please email us.
