Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Productivity costs often comprise a large component of costs in economic evaluations adopting a societal perspective. The iMTA Productivity Cost Questionnaire was developed in 2015 to validly measure and value these costs. The instrument is available in a wide range of translations and frequently and globally used in economic evaluations and societal burden of illness studies. To update and improve the instrument, also based on user feedback and to accommodate changing post-COVID working conditions, a new version of the questionnaire (iPCQv2) was developed.
METHODS: A working group was established consisting of researchers experienced with measuring and valuing productivity losses. To complement the group’s own views for improvements of the questionnaire, a survey was distributed among users of the original iPCQ. Users were identified through study registrations and publications in the literature. Their feedback was evaluated by the working group. Draft versions of the iPCQv2 were developed in multiple revision rounds and critically assessed within the group, and subsequently reviewed by external reviewers.
RESULTS: Changes were made to the iPCQ so that it is able to capture productivity losses for people working from home. The revised version uses more inclusive language. It facilitates calculating productivity costs with both the friction cost method as the human capital approach. An optional module for measuring multiplier and compensation mechanisms was added.
CONCLUSIONS: The updated and improved instrument is equipped for measuring productivity losses in the current working environment. Future steps involve assessing feasibility and validity of the iPCQv2 using qualitative and quantitative approaches in different samples. The revised version will be translated into multiple languages to enable use in international studies.