Capturing Valuation Study Sampling Uncertainty in the Estimation of Health State Utility Values Using the EQ-5D-3L

Utility scores associated with preference-based health-related quality-of-life instruments such as the EQ-5D-3L are reported as point estimates. In this study, we develop methods for capturing the uncertainty associated with the valuation study of the UK EQ-5D-3L that arises from the variability inherent in the underlying data, which is tacitly ignored by point estimates. We derive a new tariff that properly accounts for this and assigns a specific closed-form distribution to the utility of each of the 243 health states of the EQ-5D-3L.