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Content archived on 2022-12-23

Ethical quality adjusted life years (QUALY): an investigation of ethic implications of measures of quality of lifeapplicable to a range of diseases and health states for use in allocation ofresources in prevention,diagnosis,...

Objective



Eastern Europe has recently experienced a huge upheaval in both its political and economic systems. Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic can be placed at the centre of this transformation and provide a forum for assessing the diverse approaches to health care allocation.
Slovakia is at present formulating a state policy on health, based on the new principle of equity, to replace the more traditional theory of "need". In order for state policy to be structured a comprehensive evaluation of health must be undertaken. Participation in the "Ethical QALY" project will be an important preliminary to this end. They propose to utiLise present health measures and particularly the QALY. Important changes require some level of measurement and quantification of patient and practitioner satisfaction. QALYs are directly related to the problems involved with the transformation.
Slovenia has already implemented an insurance-based system of health care, although it is still in a formative stage. The state has taken a back seat in the process, as overseer of health reform and provider of information concerning health care to its citizens. The Slovenian research group is offering a new dimension for the project,through the detailed analysis of the impact of environmental factors on quality of life. They are also concerned with the ethical implications of the new insurance system currently operating in Slovenia, and thus of the principles of equity highlighted by Qaly analysis. Finally their aim is to provide a study model for the solution of both health care and quality of life problems in other Eastern European countries.
The Czech Republic at present faces the challenge of moving from a position of largely inefficient and ineffective investment in public health to one where limited funds are spent to achieve tangible results. Currently the Czech team are working within the concept of "needs assessment" which will further broaden the scope of the project as a whole. Their ethical interests are of great importance to the QALY group and it is hoped that the eQALY will provide the framework for the description analysis amd improvement of the health care situation in the Czech Republic.

Call for proposal

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Coordinator

University of Wales, Cardiff
EU contribution
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Address

CF1 3XE Cardiff
United Kingdom

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Total cost
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Participants (3)