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The SF-6D Health Utility Index in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

From the Department of Orthopedics, Hässleholm and Kristianstad Hospitals, Hässleholm, Sweden, the Department of Physiotherapy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden, and the Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Correspondence: Dr Isam Atroshi, Associate professor, Department of Orthopedics, Hässleholm and Kristianstad Hospitals, SE 28125 Hässleholm, Sweden. Tel.: +46 44 3091260; fax: +46 44 3091264. E-mail:Isam.Atroshi{at}skane.se

Cost effectiveness is an important factor to consider when choosing between various hand surgical interventions. Health utility measures can be used to determine cost effectiveness. The SF-6D is a health utility index derived from 11 items of the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire; values range from 0.296 to 1.0 ("perfect" health). We evaluated the validity of the SF-6D in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) who completed the SF-36 and the CTS symptom severity and functional status questionnaire before and 3 months after carpal tunnel release. Complete responses to the SF-6D items were available for 100 patients at baseline and 95 patients at baseline and follow-up. The mean SF-6D health utility index was 0.69 (SD 0.13) before surgery and 0.77 (SD 0.13) after surgery (moderate effect size). The SF-6D could discriminate between patient groups differing in self-rated global health and in whether, or not, they had a minimal clinically important improvement in CTS symptom severity after surgery. The SF-6D appears to be a valid measure of health utilities in patients with CTS and can be used in cost effectiveness studies.

Key Words: carpal tunnel syndrome • utility measures • SF-6D • quality of life

Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Vol. 32, No. 2, 198-202 (2007)
DOI: 10.1016/J.JHSB.2006.11.002


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