Employing quality control and feedback to the EQ-5D-5L valuation protocol to improve the quality of data collection

Fredrick Dermawan Purba,Jan J V Busschbach,Joke A M Hunfeld,Titi Sahidah Fitriana,Sawitri S Sadarjoen,Jan Passchier,Aulia Iskandarsyah

doi:10.1007/s11136-016-1445-9

Fredrick Dermawan Purba, Jan J V Busschbach + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-016-1445-9

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Abstract

ObjectivesIn valuing health states using generic questionnaires such as EQ-5D, there are unrevealed issues with the quality of the data collection. The aims were to describe the problems encountered during valuation and to evaluate a quality control report and subsequent retraining of interviewers in improving this valuation.MethodsData from the first 266 respondents in an EQ-5D-5L valuation study were used. Interviewers were trained and answered questions regarding problems during these initial interviews. Thematic analysis was used, and individual feedback was provided. After completion of 98 interviews, a first quantitative quality control (QC) report was generated, followed by a 1-day retraining program. Subsequently individual feedback was also given on the basis of follow-up QCs. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess improvements based on 7 indicators of quality as identified in the first QC and the QC conducted after a further 168 interviews.ResultsInterviewers encountered problems in recruiting respondents. Solutions provided were: optimization of the time of interview, the use of broader networks and the use of different scripts to explain the project’s goals to respondents. For problems in interviewing process, solutions applied were: developing the technical and personal skills of the interviewers and stimulating the respondents’ thought processes. There were also technical problems related to hardware, software and internet connections. There was an improvement in all 7 indicators of quality after the second QC.ConclusionTraining before and during a study, and individual feedback on the basis of a quantitative QC, can increase the validity of values obtained from generic questionnaires.

Highlights

The EQ-5D instrument is a generic health questionnaire developed by the EuroQol Group and widely used to measure health outcomes
There were technical problems related to hardware, software and internet connections
Training before and during a study, and individual feedback on the basis of a quantitative quality control (QC), can increase the validity of values obtained from generic questionnaires

Summary

Introduction

The EQ-5D instrument is a generic health questionnaire developed by the EuroQol Group and widely used to measure health outcomes. Several valuation studies of this new questionnaire were conducted internationally with the aim of developing country-specific algorithms for EQ-5D-5L [2,3,4,5,6,7] For such valuation studies, the EuroQol Group promotes a standardized protocol: the EQ Valuation Technology, or EQ-VT. In earlier TTO, VAS and DCE administrations researchers noticed problems with the quality of the responses such as ‘‘non-traders’’ (those not willing to trade life years for health) and illogical answers, both of which could affect the quality of the data [9]. Another problem has been in obtaining values below the value of dead [10]. One of the reasons the EQ-VT was developed was to overcome such problems [11]

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