Preference-based health valuation for acute poisoning: the challenge of very acute disease and rapid reversal of the health state

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A consistent and comparative description of the burden of diseases, injuries and risk factors that cause them is an important input to health decision-making and planning processes. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the extent and pattern of variation in generic utility measures with respect to capturing the clinical nature of acute poisonings from the moment of onset until restoration of health after treatment. PATIENTS AND MEHTODS: We measured the health status of patients admitted to the emergency medical toxicology ward of our teaching hospital, Mashhad, Iran. We measured their EuroQol both at admission and pre-discharge, and they were asked for time they traded-off for their current illness. RESULTS: The study enrolled 82 patients (34 males, 48 females) admitted to the emergency medical toxicology department. A questionnaire was completed for all patients at the two time intervals. The results varied from 22222 to 33333 at initial management; at the time of discharge, this rating varied from 11111 to 11122. These significant changes occurred over just a few days. CONCLUSIONS: This study attempted to compare the course of acute poisonings with some other diseases to show how self-induced poisoning affects one’s health perception, and how this change takes place over a short time.