Quality-Adjusted Life Expectancy (QALE) is a metric used in public health and clinical decision-making to estimate the impact of health conditions on an individual’s life expectancy, taking into account both the length and quality of life[1]. QALE combines health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with life expectancy (LE) to obtain a single summary score[2]. This measure allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the burden of disease and the effectiveness of various treatments and interventions.
How QALE is Calculated
QALE is calculated by combining estimates of life expectancy with health-state utilities, which are measures of the quality of life experienced by individuals in various health states[3]. Health-state utilities range from 0 (dead) to 1 (perfect health)[4]. The QALE calculation takes into account both the length of life and the quality of life, providing a more accurate representation of the overall impact of health conditions on an individual’s well-being.
At the individual level, QALE is based on clinical judgment and subjective opinions of patients about their quality of life, preferably arrived at by consensus between clinicians and patients[1]. For population-level analyses, QALE estimates can be derived from available sources such as hospital discharge data, health survey data, and vital statistics data[3].
Applications of QALE
QALE is a valuable tool for comparing the burden of disease across different health conditions, interventions, and populations[3]. It can be used to inform health insurance coverage determinations, treatment decisions, evaluate programs, and set priorities for future programs[4]. QALE estimates have been used to show the impact of chronic diseases and risk factors for several diseases, including arthritis, obesity, diabetes in adolescents and young adults, and tobacco[3].
In conclusion, Quality-Adjusted Life Expectancy (QALE) is an essential metric in public health and clinical decision-making, providing a comprehensive understanding of the impact of health conditions on an individual’s life expectancy. By considering both the length and quality of life, QALE offers a more accurate representation of the overall burden of disease and the effectiveness of various treatments and interventions.
Citations:
[1] https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100357501
[2] https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-10069-w
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5553113/
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality-adjusted_life_year