HERG has a long history in the measurement and valuation of health. This programme involves applied research and the development of new methods for the measurement and valuation of health.
Of the several areas of research conducted within this programme, one relates to the use and development of methods for preference elicitation. Researchers at HERG were some of the first to apply time-trade-off techniques for the valuation of health and recent projects have involved the elicitation of the attitudes of the general public towards health care using discrete choice and matching methods. Another significant area of research within this programme relates to the use and development of generic and condition-specific measures of quality of life.
HERG was involved in the EuroQol Group (responsible for developing the EQ-5D instruments) since its inception. Research with the EQ-5D methodology continued at HERG, for example through the development of bolt-on items to the questionnaire. In addition, HERG conducted applied and methodological research to value health and the impact of health interventions for economic evaluation. Examples of this kind of work include the use of statistical mapping techniques to estimate health-related utility data.
Another theme of research conducted within this programme has involved valuing benefits that are often excluded from ‘standard’ health technology assessments, such as impacts on caregivers and the value of non-health benefits of care.