One of the most common questions that the EuroQol Group is asked by users of the EQ-5D-5L is: ‘Which value set should I use?’. The aim of this chapter is to provide guidance on this issue for users. There are two principal ways that EQ-5D-5L value sets are applied and used. The first is for summarising health-related quality of life to estimate quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and changes in QALYs that result from the health care use. This kind of evidence is often part of health technology assessment (HTA). The second category of use is when value sets are employed as a way of summarising and statistically analysing EQ-5D-5L profile data without the aim of estimating QALYs. In each case, the stated requirements of those who use this evidence in decision making is a key consideration. This chapter summarises the relevant considerations to be taken into account when choosing a value set for QALY estimation purposes; and the considerations which are relevant to choosing a value set to use in other, ‘non-QALY’ applications.
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