Estimating an EQ-5D-3L Value Set for Romania Using Time Trade-Off

Objective: To provide health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data to support health technology assessment (HTA) and reimbursement decisions in Romania, by developing a country-specific value set for the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. Methods: We used the cTTO method to elicit health state values using a computer-assisted personal interviewing approach. Interviews were standardized following the most recent version of the EQ-VT protocol developed by the EuroQoL Foundation. Thirty EQ-5D-3L health states were randomly assigned to respondents in blocks of three. Econometric modeling was used to estimate values for all 243 states described by the EQ-5D-3L. Results: Data from 1556 non-institutionalized adults aged 18 years and older, selected from a national representative sample, were used to build the value set. All tested models were logically consistent; the final model chosen to generate the value set was an interval regression model. The predicted EQ-5D-3L values ranged from 0.969 to 0.399, and the relative importance of EQ-5D-3L dimensions was in the following order: mobility, pain/discomfort, self-care, anxiety/depression, and usual activities. Conclusions: These results can support reimbursement decisions and allow regional cross-country comparisons between health technologies. This study lays a stepping stone in the development of a health technology assessment process more driven by locally relevant data in Romania.

Automated summary

This study aimed to provide HRQoL data for health technology assessment and reimbursement decisions in Romania by developing a country-specific value set for the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire. Using the cTTO method, 30 EQ-5D-3L health states were randomly assigned to respondents, with values estimated for all 243 states described by the questionnaire. The final model chosen for generating the value set was an interval regression model, with predicted values ranging from 0.969 to 0.399.