Quality-adjusted life year
Quality-adjusted life year (QALY)
Quality-adjusted life year (QALY) /ˈkwɒl.i/ is a measure of the state of health of a person or group in which the benefits, in terms of length of life, are adjusted to reflect the quality of life. It is used in assessing the value for money of a medical intervention.
Etymology
The term "Quality-adjusted life year" was first used in the late 20th century. It is a combination of the words "quality", "adjusted", "life", and "year". The term reflects the concept of adjusting the years of life gained through healthcare interventions by the quality of life in those years.
Definition
A QALY is a measure of the value of health outcomes. Since health is a function of length of life and quality of life, QALYs were developed to combine the value of these attributes into a single index number. 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.
Related Terms
- Cost-effectiveness analysis: A form of economic analysis that compares the relative costs and outcomes (effects) of different courses of action.
- Health economics: A branch of economics concerned with issues related to efficiency, effectiveness, value and behavior in the production and consumption of health and healthcare.
- Health-related quality of life: An assessment of how the individual's well-being may be affected over time by a disease, disability, or disorder.
- Disability-adjusted life year: A measure of overall disease burden, expressed as the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Quality-adjusted life year
- Wikipedia's article - Quality-adjusted life year
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