This document discusses accounting for wider social benefits by exploring the relationship between health-related quality of life and absence from paid employment due to illness. It analyzes data from two surveys - HODAR and Understanding Society - to model this relationship. The analysis involves mapping EQ-5D and SF-6D scores, examining the probability of absence from work based on quality of life, and estimating average days off work while accounting for health conditions. Issues with combining data from the two different surveys are noted. Ongoing research aims to address these issues and better capture total absence from paid work due to health problems.

1. Accounting for
Wider Social Benefits
Roberta Ara
Senior Research Fellow, ScHARR

2. Taking a wider perspective
• Measurement and valuation of
informal care time and carers utility
• The measurement and valuation of
productivity effects

3. Objective:
Explore potential relationship between
EQ-5D score (& ICD-10 code) and
absence from work due to ill health

4. Data (1)
HODAR
N
>30k
Survey design
prospective
Patient characteristics:
General population
 discharged within
previous 6 weeks
Health status:
ICD-10

Quality of life & recall period:
EQ-5D

today
Absence from paid employment due to ill health & recall period:
Off work sick
 previous 6 weeks
number of days off

5. HODAR - issues
a) Recall periods (EQ5D, time off work)
b) EQ-5D =1 (% off paid employment)
c) Questions for recall unclear (masses
at multiples of 5 and 7 days)
d) Substantial proportion (42%)
indicated full 6 weeks off work
e) Generalisability

6. Data (2)
HODAR
N
>30k
Survey design
prospective
Patient characteristics:
General population
 discharged within
previous 6 weeks
Understanding Society
>27k
X-sectional

Health status:
ICD-10


self-reported
17 broad definitions
Quality of life & recall period:
EQ-5D
SF36 (or SF12)


today
previous 4 weeks


previous 4 weeks
Absence from paid employment due to ill health & recall period:
Off work sick
 previous 6 weeks
 previous week
number of days off
yes/no for absence

7. Off paid employment in previous week
(Understanding Society)

8. Approach taken
HODAR
EQ-5D, ICD,
Model 1
age, gender
SF-6D
preference
measure
Understanding Society
SF-6D
age, gender
Model 2
P(absent from
work due to
sickness or injury)
HODAR
age, gender, ICD
Model 3
Number of days
off work sick
|off work sick

9. Relationship between EQ5D and SF6D
(HODAR)

10. Relationship between QoL & absence from
paid employment due to ill health (U.Society)

11. Combining elements
STEP 1:
E(SF6D) = f(EQ5D, age, gender, ICD group)
STEP 2:
p(OWS) = f(SF6D, age, gender)
STEP 3:
E(DOWS |OWS) = f(age, gender, ICD group)
STEP 4:
Weight average number of days off work sick (Step 2)
by the probability of being off work sick (Step 3)

12. Issues with data
• Double/triple mapping – not ideal
• Switching between datasets – not ideal
• Neither surveys capture total absence due to ill health
• eg early retirement due to condition, long-term sickness etc
Ongoing/planned research
•
•
•
•
HIPPO – new HODAR
Includes both SF12 & EQ5D
Recall for work absence is 1 week (and 4 weeks)
Switch to examine relationship between QoL and paid
employment (as opposed to the relationship between
QoL and probability of being off work sick)