Annexes 1 and 2 capture a full set of EQ-5D population norm tables that were estimated for each country. The tables contain information on the size of the study, EQ VAS ratings and proportion of reported problems on each of the EQ-5D dimensions, as well as EQ-5D index values.Annex 1 includes surveys that were based on national representative populations. The survey for England is included among the national surveys, as it is expected to be referenced more widely in studies performed in the United Kingdom. Annex 2 includes surveys that were based on general populations but were limited to specific regions of the particular country. There are three examples where both national and regional surveys are available in a single country, including Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The choice between using the national versus the regional dataset as a reference group may well depend on the objectives and audiences of future studies. It is important to note that in all of these three countries, the regional surveys were conducted more recently. Both the survey for England and the Stockholm county survey capture a large proportion of the population in England and Sweden. The results of the English survey were similar to the UK survey, conducted 17 years previously, however no EQ VAS data were collected in the English survey. The new Stockholm county survey results show consistently worse EQ-5D population norms in all EQ-5D variables and in all age

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IntroductionThis study was designed to test the feasibility and face validity of the composite time trade-off (composite TTO), a new approach to TTO allowing for a more consistent elicitation of negative health state values.MethodsThe new instrument combines a conventional TTO to elicit values for states regarded better than dead and a lead-time TTO for states worse than dead.ResultsA total of 121 participants completed the composite TTO for ten EQ-5D-5L health states. Mean values ranged from −0.104 for health state 53555 to 0.946 for 21111. The instructions were clear to 98 % of the respondents, and 95 % found the task easy to understand, indicating feasibility. Further, the average number of steps taken in the iteration procedure to achieve the point of indifference in the TTO and the average duration of each task were indicative of a deliberate cognitive process.ConclusionFace validity was confirmed by the high mean values for the mild health states (>0.90) and low mean values for the severe states (<0.42). In conclusion, this study demonstrates the feasibility and face validity of the composite TTO in a face-to-face standardized computer-assisted interview setting.

This study has developed the EQ-PSO questionnaire to support future psoriasis research and has informed the development of future bolt-on versions of the EQ-5D questionnaire.

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Background: Burden of disease estimates, which combine mortality and morbidity into a single measure, are used increasingly for priority setting in disease control, prevention and surveillance. However, because there is no clear exclusion criterion for highly prevalent minimal disease in burden of disease studies its application may be restricted. The aim of this study was to apply a newly developed relevance criterion based on preferences of a population panel, and to compare burden of disease estimates of five foodborne pathogens calculated with and without application of this criterion.

Overall, psychometric analyses of the HeartQoL instrument in a population of patients with stable coronary heart disease showed good reliability and validity both at the European as well as the country-specific level. However, further research should focus on the responsiveness of the HeartQoL, the possible ceiling effect of the emotional subscale, construct validity and the minimal clinically important difference.

In addition to describing population norms, the EQ-5D database archive also offered the opportunity to explore health inequalities as reported by general populations of 18 countries. We have seen that age, and gender to a lesser extent, played an important role in explaining EQ-5D data across individuals. A social indicator, education, was also available in most datasets that were analysed alongside age and gender to explain EQ-5D data. The level of attained education is important as it represents the cultural component of an individual's socioeconomic status, and is an indicator of living circumstances in the earlier part of one's life. Education level is fairly stable over the life course of an individual. Later in life it shapes one's occupation and expected income potential. Through this mechanism, its indirect link with health is stronger than its direct effect (Singh-Manoux et al. 2002). Among the higher education groups, lower prevalence of health risk factors has been observed. Given the existing health problems, individuals with a lower level of education experience greater ill-health (Eachus et al. 1999). Higher education can directly or through its vehicle mechanisms (such as being able to afford domestic help, acquisition of home appliances, reduced workload or part-time work) enable extra coping pathways that are not available to individuals with lower levels of attained education (Simon 2002). Furthermore, observational studies among people suffering from chronic conditions revealed that, through better self-management