Health-related quality of life measure based on the minimum data set

OBJECTIVES: To introduce a health-related quality of life measure for home care and institutional long-term care settings based on the Minimum Data Set (MDS) and the Health Utilities Index Mark 2 (HUI2). METHODS: Health attributes of Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) were identified, and suitable constructs were determined. Items from the MDS were mapped to the HUI2. Scores for the Minimum Data Set Health Status Index (MDS-HSI) were calculated using the HUI2 scoring function. Measurement properties are examined and reported. HRQOL scores were compared across study populations and to an external reference population. Random samples were drawn from long-term care clients in private households (n = 377), supportive housing apartments (n = 80), two residential care facilities (n = 166), and a chronic care hospital (n = 274) in Ontario, Canada. All sampled residents were assessed for health-related items using the MDS. RESULTS: The MDS-HSI results provide preliminary evidence of good validity. Institutional populations had lower overall HRQOL scores than community populations. Comparisons to existing Canadian national data support construct validity. CONCLUSIONS: The MDS-HSI provides a summary outcome measure and an indicator of health status in the six supporting attributes. Longitudinal research is required to assess the sensitivity of the measure to changes overtime. Further research is also required to establish the consistency between the preference weights used in this application of the HUI2 and those that would be derived from a frail elderly population.