Validating the EQ-5D with time trade off for the German population

The aim of this survey study was to derive the societal values of the general public for the EuroQol EQ-5D. Using the same protocol as previously used in the United Kingdom, we compared the German values with the British. In face-to-face interviews a sample of 339 individuals in northern Germany valued 15 different health states from a sample of 36 states. Values were derived using the York MVH protocol for time trade-off (TTO) and a visual analogue scale (VAS). Values for all 243 health states of the EQ-5D were estimated by a regression model. The VAS values revealed close a resemblance to the British VAS results. German TTO values were higher than the British. This was especially the case for the worse health states. The results suggest that the TTO values are more related to national variables than values derived by VAS. The use of the TTO values of this investigation makes it possible to anticipate these cultural differences in studies carried out in Germany. © Springer Medizin Verlag 2004.