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Visual Analog Scales

Author

Listed:
  • George W. Torrance

    (Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; the Centre for Evaluation of Medicines, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Health Utilities Inc., Canada)

  • David Feeny

    (Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, and the Institute of Health Economics, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Health Utilities Inc., Canada)

  • William Furlong

    (Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, Health Utilities Inc., Canada)

Abstract

Visual analog scales (VASs) have long been used as a method of measuring preferences for health outcomes. They are easy and inexpensive to implement, can be administered quickly, and lend themselves to self-completion. Over time, however, disturbing questions have emerged concerning the validity of the VAS approach. This article reviews briefly the history, theory, practice, problems, and advantages of VASs; presents some suggestions to improve the validity of VASs; and recommends a limited but useful role for VASs in the process of measuring preferences for health states.

Suggested Citation

  • George W. Torrance & David Feeny & William Furlong, 2001. "Visual Analog Scales," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 21(4), pages 329-334, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:medema:v:21:y:2001:i:4:p:329-334
    DOI: 10.1177/0272989X0102100408
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. George W. Torrance & Michael H. Boyle & Sargent P. Horwood, 1982. "Application of Multi-Attribute Utility Theory to Measure Social Preferences for Health States," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 30(6), pages 1043-1069, December.
    2. Torrance, George W., 1976. "Social preferences for health states: An empirical evaluation of three measurement techniques," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 129-136.
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    2. David Feeny, 2012. "The Multi-attribute Utility Approach to Assessing Health-related Quality of Life," Chapters, in: Andrew M. Jones (ed.), The Elgar Companion to Health Economics, Second Edition, chapter 36, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Paul F. M. Krabbe & Elly A. Stolk & Nancy J. Devlin & Feng Xie & Elise H. Quik & A. Simon Pickard, 2017. "Head-to-head comparison of health-state values derived by a probabilistic choice model and scores on a visual analogue scale," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 18(8), pages 967-977, November.
    4. David Parkin & Nancy Devlin, 2006. "Is there a case for using visual analogue scale valuations in cost‐utility analysis?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(7), pages 653-664, July.
    5. Marieke Krol & Elly Stolk & Werner Brouwer, 2014. "Predicting productivity based on EQ-5D: an explorative study," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 15(5), pages 465-475, June.
    6. Marie-Josée Dion & Pierre Tousignant & Jean Bourbeau & Dick Menzies & Kevin Schwartzman, 2002. "Measurement of Health Preferences among Patients with Tuberculous Infection and Disease," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 22(1_suppl), pages 102-114, September.
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    8. Donna Rowen & John Brazier & Aki Tsuchiya & Mónica Hernández Alava, 2012. "Valuing states from multiple measures on the same visual analogue sale: a feasibility study," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(6), pages 715-729, June.
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    10. Bromley, Hannah L. & Petrie, Dennis & Mann, G.Bruce & Nickson, Carolyn & Rea, Daniel & Roberts, Tracy E., 2019. "Valuing the health states associated with breast cancer screening programmes: A systematic review of economic measures," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 142-154.
    11. S. A. Lipman & V. T. Reckers-Droog & M. Karimi & M. Jakubczyk & A. E. Attema, 2021. "Self vs. other, child vs. adult. An experimental comparison of valuation perspectives for valuation of EQ-5D-Y-3L health states," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 22(9), pages 1507-1518, December.
    12. George L. Wehby & Hodad Naderi & James M. Robbins & Timothy N. Ansley & Peter C. Damiano, 2014. "Comparing the Visual Analogue Scale and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory for Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Oral Clefts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-12, April.
    13. Peter Franks & Erica I. Lubetkin & Joy Melnikow, 2007. "Do personal and societal preferences differ by socio‐demographic group?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(3), pages 319-325, March.
    14. Hui-Chuan Huang & Meei-Ling Shyu & Mei-Feng Lin & Chaur-Jong Hu & Chien-Hung Chang & Hsin-Chien Lee & Nai-Fang Chi & Hsiu-Ju Chang, 2017. "Validation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of a Chinese Version of the Emotional and Social Dysfunction Questionnaire in Stroke Patients," Clinical Nursing Research, , vol. 26(6), pages 763-782, December.
    15. Yuxuan Gu & Hao Zhang & Shahmir H. Ali & Minzhuo Huang & Jingming Wei & Shuyan Gu & Xuemei Zhen & Xiaoqian Hu & Xueshan Sun & Hengjin Dong, 2019. "Social Determinants of Health-Related Quality of Life among Residents in Zhejiang and Qinghai, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-14, April.
    16. Peter Hertzman, 2005. "The cost effectiveness of orlistat in a 1-year weight-management programme for treating overweight and obese patients in Sweden," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 23(10), pages 1007-1020, October.
    17. Maria Öjmyr-Joelsson & Margret Nisell & Björn Frenckner & Per-Anders Rydelius & Kyllike Christensson, 2006. "Parental Experiences: Care of Children With High and Intermediate Imperforate Anus," Clinical Nursing Research, , vol. 15(4), pages 290-305, November.
    18. Charlotte Lindblad Wollmann & Can Liu & Sissel Saltvedt & Charlotte Elvander & Mia Ahlberg & Olof Stephansson, 2020. "Risk of negative birth experience in trial of labor after cesarean delivery: A population-based cohort study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-13, March.
    19. Herrera-Araujo, Daniel & Hammitt, James K. & Rheinberger, Christoph M., 2020. "Theoretical bounds on the value of improved health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    20. José María Abellán Perpiñán & Fernando Ignacio Sánchez Martínez & Jorge Eduardo Martínez Pérez & Ildefonso Méndez, 2012. "Lowering The ‘Floor’ Of The Sf‐6d Scoring Algorithm Using A Lottery Equivalent Method," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(11), pages 1271-1285, November.
    21. Seda Erdem & Danny Campbell, 2017. "Preferences for public involvement in health service decisions: a comparison between best-worst scaling and trio-wise stated preference elicitation techniques," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 18(9), pages 1107-1123, December.

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