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Subjective well-being and the measurement of quality in healthcare

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  • Lee, Henry
  • Vlaev, Ivo
  • King, Dominic
  • Mayer, Erik
  • Darzi, Ara
  • Dolan, Paul

Abstract

Quality continues to be placed at the heart of discussions about healthcare. This raises important questions about precisely what quality care is, and how it should be measured. An overall measure of subjective well-being (SWB) that assesses and joins up different stages of the treatment process, and the different people affected, could potentially be used to capture the full impact of quality care throughout the entire treatment process. This article presents a temporal model through which SWB links all stages in the treatment and care process, thus allowing the overall quality of care to be determined and valued according to its direct effect on people's lives. Drawing on existing medical and behavioural studies, we populate this model with evidence that demonstrates how SWB is affected at different points along the patient pathway. SWB is shown to have an effect on outcomes at all stages of the treatment experience and improved health and quality outcomes are shown to consistently enhance SWB. Furthermore, SWB measures are shown to be a suitable method to value the impact of healthcare on the families and carers of patients and, in this way, can join up health outcomes to show wider effects of treatment on patients' lives. Measuring an individual's SWB throughout his or her treatment experience can enable a full appraisal of the quality of care that they receive. This will facilitate service improvements at the micro level and help value treatments for resource allocation purposes at the macro level.

Suggested Citation

  • Lee, Henry & Vlaev, Ivo & King, Dominic & Mayer, Erik & Darzi, Ara & Dolan, Paul, 2013. "Subjective well-being and the measurement of quality in healthcare," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 27-34.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:99:y:2013:i:c:p:27-34
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.09.027
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Bussière, Clémence & Sirven, Nicolas & Tessier, Philippe, 2021. "Does ageing alter the contribution of health to subjective well-being?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    3. Maggioni, Isabella & Sands, Sean & Kachouie, Reza & Tsarenko, Yelena, 2019. "Shopping for well-being: The role of consumer decision-making styles," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 21-32.
    4. Tessa Peasgood & Jill Carlton & John Brazier, 2019. "A Qualitative Study of the Views of Health and Social Care Decision-Makers on the Role of Wellbeing in Resource Allocation Decisions in the UK," Economies, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-13, February.
    5. Coast, Joanna, 2018. "A history that goes hand in hand: Reflections on the development of health economics and the role played by Social Science & Medicine, 1967–2017," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 227-232.
    6. Tetsuya Tsurumi & Shunsuke Managi, 2017. "Monetary Valuations of Life Conditions in a Consistent Framework: The Life Satisfaction Approach," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 18(5), pages 1275-1303, October.
    7. McColl-Kennedy, Janet R. & Danaher, Tracey S. & Gallan, Andrew S. & Orsingher, Chiara & Lervik-Olsen, Line & Verma, Rohit, 2017. "How do you feel today? Managing patient emotions during health care experiences to enhance well-being," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 247-259.
    8. Andrea Repetto & Francisco Gallego & Cristian Larroulet & Leonor Palomer, 2016. "Unequal Access and Socioeconomic Gradients in Perceived Oral Health: Evidence from an Emerging Country," Working Papers wp_050, Adolfo Ibáñez University, School of Government.
    9. Mduduzi Biyase & Liza-Mari Volschenk & Sheila De Carvalho, 2022. "Occupation status-subjective wellbeing nexus: A quantile regression analysis," Economics Working Papers edwrg-01-2022, College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, South Africa, revised 2022.
    10. Sophie Attwood & Tarra L. Penney & Rachael O’Leary & Charlotte Klahn & Benjamin Kelly, 2020. "Measuring Wellbeing in a Healthcare Setting: a Qualitative Study of Staff and Service User Perspectives," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(1), pages 127-145, March.

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