Working Groups
The Foundation supports research that that holds both scientific and strategic significance for the EuroQol Group and its members. To achieve this, specialized Working Groups have been instituted to develop robust research programs aligned with the organization’s scientific agenda. These Working Groups generate Requests for Proposals (RFP), inviting participation from both EuroQol Group members and other researchers. Responding to these RFPs stands as the principal avenue for researchers to secure funding for their projects from the Foundation. The Working Groups provide annual progress reports to the Executive Committee of the Foundation, outlining achievements and outlining future objectives.
Presently, there are six active Working Groups:
Objectives:
- To explore the conceptual basis for generic preference-based HRQL measures (i.e., descriptive and measurement work).
- To investigate the conceptual basis and develop a framework to rationalize the development of various bolt-ons and bolt-offs.
Chair
Deputy Chair
Tessa Peasgood
Members
Objectives:
- investigating how the existing valuation methods used for EQ instruments may be further refined;
- investigating new approaches to valuing health;
- investigating the most appropriate methods for valuing new EQ instruments;
- exploring normative issues related to valuation, for instance, in the context of value sets being constructed for and by different populations (e.g., patient groups or children/adolescents);
- collaborating with working groups or approved groups on conceptual and practical issues related to the valuation of EQ instruments
Chair:
Members:
Objectives
The PHS WG has several objectives grouped under the following three key remits:
Research
- Initiate research on the use of EuroQol instruments in population health and health care systems applications (e.g. by initiating RFPs)
- Guide and support the development of research applications under the PHS WG remit
- Monitor and evaluate the progress of research related to the WG
Implementation and support
- Support the initiation and development of PROMs programs utilizing the EuroQol instruments (e.g. for routine outcome measurement within patient registries and health organizations)
- Support the development of proof-of-concept applications utilizing the EuroQol instruments
- Explore the development of new products and tools that support the use of EuroQol instruments in health systems
Stakeholder engagement
- Facilitate capacity building and knowledge exchange activities with external users and stakeholders (e.g., patients, providers, system administrators, and policy makers)
- Promote the EuroQol instruments to new user groups (e.g. for monitoring, evaluating and promoting health systems performance)
- Foster international collaborations amongst EuroQol Group members and users of the EuroQol instruments
- Promoting the inclusion of EuroQol instruments in national health surveys
Chair:
Members:
Objectives:
- To develop EQ-5D instruments suitable for use in younger populations of various age ranges. This includes the validation of the EQ-5D-Y in younger age groups (using the proxy version).
- To promote research to explore the validity of the EQ-5D-Y as a measure of health status in younger populations.
- To work closely with the Valuation WG in developing a work programme for the valuation of EQ-5D-Y states.
- To promote research in the field of application studies. This might include studies comparing EQ-5D-Y to other instruments and undertaking basic research in paediatric disease areas.
- To develop and to test possible bolt-ons and bolt-offs (with regard to the self-care dimension) for the EQ-5D-Y in close co-operation with the Valuation Methodology WG.
- To update the user guide for the 5-level Youth version.
Chair:
Members:
Objectives:
- Organize regular educational meetings for interested EuroQol members on specific topics related to research and application of EQ-5D.
- Organize and promote regional meetings of researchers, decision makers and users interested in EQ-5D outside Europe and North America.
- Propose educational and uptake initiatives to the Executive Committee that could be supported by the Foundation.
Chair: Zhihao Yang
Members:
The EuroQol Group has established the EQ-HWB Working Group (WG), chaired by Simon Pickard. The WG will delineate the research agenda and priorities for the EQ-HWB and EQ-HWB-S, organize the assessment of proposals and final reports, collect evidence to develop the two instruments, and support researchers in producing high quality studies with the goal of advancing the instruments intellectual property status. The WG is intended as an independent body that will coexist with the EQ-HWB SIG.
The aims of our working group are:
- To generate knowledge and understanding of the performance and validity of the EQ-HWB and EQ-HWB-S in relevant populations
- To support research, in collaboration with the Valuation WG, to aid in the development of a valuation protocol for the EQ-HWB-S and ways to score and/or value the EQ-HWB
- To engage with international stakeholders and promote dissemination activities
Chair
Simon Pickard
Deputy Chair
Aureliano Finch
