Plain Language Summary

This research developed a new system that describes health-related quality of life in children, specifically creating a reduced form of the Pediatric Quality-of-Life Inventory Version 4.0 Generic Core Scales (PedsQL GCS). The PedsQL GCS currently has 23 questions across the domains of physical, emotional, social, and school functioning. While the PedsQL GCS is widely used in clinical research, its length means that researchers have not widely developed health utilities for use in cost-effectiveness analysis. This study developed a shorter version that can generate health utilities, which are important for making informed healthcare decisions.

The researchers analyzed data from 2 large studies involving Australian children, using various statistical methods to ensure that the new system is reliable and valid. They aimed to select the best items for each of the 4 areas based on strong psychometric performance and conceptual relevance. Ultimately, they identified 4 key items: one from each area, such as "Get aches and pains" for physical functioning and "Feel sad/blue" for emotional functioning.

Researchers can use the new 4-item health-state classification system to create health utilities, facilitating cost-utility analyses. This is important because utilities enhance the ability of decision makers to compare the impact of different health interventions on children's overall well-being. They can also inform how to best use limited healthcare resources when funding new treatments.

However, further validation of this new system may be necessary before it can be widely adopted. The next step is to develop a value set and ensure that value set can accurately reflect children's health states. The study highlights the need for standardized approaches in measuring health utilities for children, which will ultimately improve decision making in healthcare policies and practices.

In summary, this research provides a crucial step in bridging a gap in pediatric health assessments, aiming to deliver more useful evidence for evaluating the effectiveness of health interventions for children in Australia and potentially beyond.

^{Note: This content was created with assistance from artificial intelligence (AI) and has been reviewed and edited by ISPOR staff. For more information or for inquiries on ISPOR’s AI policy, click here or contact us at info@ispor.org.}