QALY

Quality-adjusted life years (QALY) is a measure of the value of health outcomes. Since health is a function of length of life and quality of life, the QALY was developed to combine these attributes into a single index number.

Definition

The Quality-adjusted life year (QALY) is a generic measure of disease burden, including both the quality and the quantity of life lived. It is used in economic evaluation to assess the value for money of medical interventions. One QALY equates to one year in perfect health.

Calculation

QALYs are calculated by estimating the years of life remaining for a patient following a particular treatment or intervention and weighting each year with a quality-of-life score (on a 0 to 1 scale). It is often measured in terms of the person's ability to carry out the activities of daily life, and freedom from pain and mental disturbance.

Use in healthcare economics

QALYs are used in cost-utility analysis to calculate the ratio of cost to QALYs saved for a particular health care intervention. This is then used to allocate healthcare resources, particularly in the UK's National Health Service.

Criticisms

There are several criticisms of the QALY methodology, including:

• It does not capture all aspects of quality of life
• It may discriminate against older people or those with disabilities
• It can be difficult to calculate accurately

See also

• Cost-effectiveness analysis
• Health economics
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Quality of life

References

QALY Resources
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