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The ‘Utility’ of the Visual Analog Scale in Medical Decision Making and Technology Assessment: Is It an Alternative to the Time Trade-off?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2009

Anne M. Stiggelbout ,
Marinus J. C. Eijkemans ,
Gwendoline M. Kiebert ,
Job Kievit ,
Jan-Willem H. Leer  and
Hanneke J. C. J. M. De Haes
Anne M. Stiggelbout
Affiliation:
University Hospital Leiden
Marinus J. C. Eijkemans
Affiliation:
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Gwendoline M. Kiebert
Affiliation:
University Hospital Leiden
Job Kievit
Affiliation:
University Hospital Leiden
Jan-Willem H. Leer
Affiliation:
University Hospital Leiden
Hanneke J. C. J. M. De Haes
Affiliation:
University Hospital Leiden and Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam
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Abstract

Methods often used for the valuation of health states are the time trade-off (TTO) and the visual analog scale (VAS). The VAS is easier than the TTO and can be self-administered; however it usually leads to lower scores. In the literature a power transformation of group mean VAS scores to TTO scores has been proposed. We were able to replicate this finding of a power function. We found coefficients that were very similar to those from the literature, for 183 cancer patients. The relationship existed independently of disease state and health status.

Type
General Essays
Information
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , Spring 1996 , pp. 291 - 298
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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References

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