Abstract
Objective: In economic evaluation of health care programmes normally health-related quality of life is part of measurement of a programme’s effectiveness and productivity part of its costs. In this paper the relationship between quality of life and productivity is highlighted and empirically assessed in persons suffering from low back pain. Methods: A secondary analysis was performed on data from a sample of 483 patients treated for low back pain. Periodically, both quality of life (EQ-5D) and productivity indicators for both paid and unpaid work were measured. Mean EQ-5D scores were compared for groups of patients classified by level of productivity. The relationship between quality of life and productivity was also assessed using Spearman rank correlation coefficients. Results: Mean EQ-5D scores for patients without productivity losses were a half to a full standard deviation higher than for patients with the lowest levels of productivity. The correlation between quality of life and productivity was moderate. Conclusion: Lower levels of quality of life were associated with efficiency loss and absenteeism. However, due to the moderate strength of the relation the use of information on quality of life to model productivity costs in case of absence of productivity data was not recommended.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
MR Gold JE Siegel LB Russell MC Weinstein (Eds) (1996) Cost-effectiveness in Health and Medicine. Oxford University Press Oxford
MF Drummond B O’Brien GL Stoddard GW Torrance (1997) Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes. EditionNumber2 Oxford University Press Oxford
M Sculpher (2001) The role of productivity costs in economic evaluation. MF Drummond A McGuire (Eds) Economic Evaluation in Health Care: Merging Theory with Practice Oxford University Press New York
WBF Brouwer FFH Rutten (2003) ArticleTitleThe missing link: On the line between C and E. Health Econom 12 IssueID8 629–636
Brouwer WBF, Meerding WJ, Lamers LM, Severens JL. The relationship between productivity and health related quality of life–an exploration. PharmacoEconomics, in press.
WBF Brouwer Exel NJA van MA Koopmanschap FFH Rutten (2002) ArticleTitleProductivity losses before and after absence: as important as common? Health Policy 61 IssueID2 173–187
JT Osterhaus DL Gutterman JR Plachetka (1992) ArticleTitleHealth care resource and lost labor costs of migraine headache in the US. PharmacoEconomics 2 67–76
L Roijen Particlevan ML Essink-Bot MA Koopmanschap BC Michel FFH Rutten (1995) ArticleTitleSocietal perspective on the burden of migraine in the Netherlands. PharmacoEconomics 7 170–179
JL Severens RJF Laheij JBM Jansen EH Lisdonk Particlevan der ALM Verbeek (1998) ArticleTitleEstimating the cost of lost productivity in dyspepsia. Alimentary Pharmacol Therap 12 919–923
MA Koopmanschap FFH Rutten (1993) ArticleTitleIndirect costs in economic studies: confronting the confusion. PharmacoEconomics 4 446–454
R Brooks (1996) ArticleTitleEuroQol: the current state of play. Health Policy 37 53–72 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0168-8510(96)00822-6 Occurrence Handle1:STN:280:BymB1c7mt1Q%3D Occurrence Handle10158943
P Dolan C Gudex P Kind A Williams (1996) ArticleTitleA time trade-off method: Results from a general population study. Health Econom 5 141–154
P Dolan (1997) ArticleTitleModeling valuations for EuroQol health states. Medl Care 35 IssueID11 1095–1108
L Roijen Particlevan ML Essink-Bot MA Koopmanschap BC Michel FFH Rutten (1996) ArticleTitleLabor and health status in economic evaluation of health care. Intl J Technol Assess Health Care 12 405–415
WBF Brouwer MA Koopmanschap FFH Rutten (1999) ArticleTitleProductivity losses without absence; measurement validation and empirical evidence. Health Policy 48 13–27
BHC Zwart ParticleDe JPJ Broersen AJ Beek ParticleVan der MHW Frings-Dresen FJH Dijk ParticleVan (1997) ArticleTitleOccupational classification according to work demands: an evaluation study. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 10 283–295
J Cohen (1988) Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. EditionNumber2 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers Hillsdale, New Yersey 20–27
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lamers, L.M., Meerding, WJ., Severens, J.L. et al. The relationship between productivity and health-related quality of life: An empirical exploration in persons with low back pain. Qual Life Res 14, 805–813 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-004-0800-4
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-004-0800-4