EQ-5D-5L | Proxy version

Proxy versions were developed for use in special cases where patients are mentally or physically not capable reporting on their health-related quality of life, for instance because of severe intellectual disability or mental health problems.

Please note that if patients are not able to come to a hospital, the EQ-5D-5L Interviewer Administered version or the EQ-5D-5L Telephone interview version is more suitable. If patients are not able to read or write, the EQ-5D-5L Interviewer Administered version or the EQ-5D-5L Face-to-face interview version is more suitable. Note that the Interviewer Administered version can be used interchangeably with Telephone or Face-to-face versions.

Four proxy versions are currently available. Note that with a proxy version a caregiver who knows the patient well rates the health-related quality of life, as follows:

• Proxy version 1: The caregiver (the proxy) is asked to rate the patient’s health-related quality of life in their (the proxy’s) opinion.
• Proxy version 2: The caregiver (the proxy) is asked to rate how he/she (the proxy) thinks the patient would rate his/her own health-related quality of life, if the patient were able to communicate it.
• Interviewer Administered Proxy version 1: An interviewer asks the caregiver (proxy) to rate the patient’s health-related quality of life in their (the proxy’s) opinion.
• Interviewer Administered Proxy version 2: Developed for use either in face-to-face or telephone/computer interviews when the person being assessed is unable to self-report their health state, and the most appropriate proxy is not able to complete a paper/digital questionnaire. Examples might include that the proxy cannot read or write due to poor literacy or impairment or is living away from the data collection site, making a telephone/computer interview preferable. Note that Proxy version 2 requires that the proxy reports on the health-related quality of life of the person as he/she judge that the person being assessed would report it if he/she were able to do so.

If a language version is not available, please contact the EuroQol Office.