Quality-adjusted life years lost from nonfatal motor vehicle accident injuries

Background. A number of studies have estimated the quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost from nonfatal motor vehicle accident injuries, but these estimates have a number of limitations. Objectives. The goal of this study is to estimate the QALYs lost from the typical motor vehicle accident injury based on 1) data obtained through a standard preference elicitation procedure, 2) both permanent and nonpermanent injuries, and 3) a more realistic baseline quality-of-life level from which to determine the QALY decrement. This study also intends to demonstrate the advantages of using self-reported health status as the basis for determining a change in QALYs. Research Design. Ordered probit equations were estimated to determine the change in self-reported health status associated with 3 categories of injuries. These results were next converted to their marginal effects and weighted by the quality-of-life estimates for self-reported health status found in Nyman and others (2007). The quality-of-life decrements for the 3 categories of injury were then converted to QALY decrements by applying estimates of the duration of that injury type. Subjects. The data came from 8 years of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), from 1997 to 2004. Measures. Self-reported health status categories were excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor. Results. The reference case decrement for an average motor vehicle accident injury is 0.0612 QALYs or 0.0360 QALYs, if discounted at 3%. Conclusions. Quality-of-life weights for self-reported health status can be used to exploit the data in large national surveys.