Calculating QALYs, comparing QALY and DALY calculations

Here is THE definitive paper describing the methodology for calculating your personal "Quality Adjusted Life Years" (QALYs). That is the measure to be used under the new Government Health Care program to determine how many remaining Quality Life Years you have if you are given a proposed treatment.

As the paper describes it: "The main use of QALYs is within the framework of cost-effectiveness analysis, to assess the improvement in quality-adjusted life expectancy obtained through a specific health intervention (i) relative to a situation in which either no intervention or a standard alternative intervention is provided."

Here is the formula to which the measure of the value of your life saving treatments has been reduced !!!!!

The paper also describes DALYs .... Disability Adjusted Life Years..... to better deal with calculating years living with disability.

If you are as incensed as I, please forward this post to a friend or family member by clicking on the email envelope below .