HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE POPULATION INDICATORS USING EQ-5D QUESTIONNAIRE

Abstract

Introduction. The concept of health-related quality of life as a key factor in patient-doctor interactions is an important basis for making managerial and medical decisions in many foreign health systems. In Russia, the concept of health-related quality of life is in its infancy: it is required the theoretical, methodological and scientific-practical foundations development. Aims and objectives. The aim of this study is to assess the health- related quality of life for Russian population based on the EQ-5D questionnaire and to form the average health indicators. Material and methods. The survey was conducted on a sample of 1,602 people aged 18 to 92 years. The final sample is representative for the country and federal districts. We use using the Russian-language version of the EQ-5D questionnaire which allows us to receive two indicators for each respondent - health profile and index based on visual analog scale EQ-VAS. Results. The study revealed the following results: (1) the majority of the respondents among all ages have the problems in EQ-5D dimension “anxiety/depression”; (2) women tend to detect moderate problems in all dimensions more often than men; (3) EQ-5D descriptive results are decreased in all components with the respondents age; (4) the most infrequent population’s problems among the all dimensions are found in the "self-care" dimension; (5) the age changes related to a decrease of EQ-VAS are associated with the general tendency of a decrease in the dimensions. Discussion. To obtain the most accurate and objective assessments from the EQ-5D, it is necessary to conduct a study in accordance with established international protocols, compare the estimates with the average population indices and adhere to a thorough research design. Conclusion. The study reveals the possibilities of using EQ-5D and the first health-related quality of life Russian population indicators that can be used as a basis for comparing between different population groups and patients.