EuroQol is developing a new instrument – the EQ-HWB

February 16, 2021

Several years ago, researchers from the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with an international team of researchers from the EuroQol Group and other organisations, started a research project titled “Going beyond health-related quality of life – towards a broader QALY measure for use across sectors (E-QALY)”. The aim of this research project was to produce a self-reported outcome measure, suitable for use across health care and social care. The project has been jointly funded by the UK Medical Research Council and the EuroQol Research Foundation.

We are pleased to report that this project is nearing completion, with final study results expected in Q3 2021. The new instrument is titled EQ-HWB (EQ Health and Wellbeing instrument). EQ-HWB has been designed as a standardised measure of aspects of health and wellbeing and currently has 25 items. A short version has also been designed, called EQ-HWB-S (EQ Health and Wellbeing Short version), which currently has 9 items.

EQ-HWB is not intended to replace the EQ-5D. Instead, it is being developed as a different instrument, assessing a range of effects – including, but not limited to, impact on the health and wellbeing of care recipients and caregivers.

The Executive Committee of the EuroQol Group appointed the EQ-HWB Special Interest Group (SIG), as part of the Descriptive Systems Working Group, to oversee the EQ-HWB development. Co-chaired by Simon Pickard and Clara Mukuria, this international group will coordinate EQ-HWB research with the aim to release both the long and short versions of EQ-HWB as final instruments in the near future.

Please note that for now, EQ-HWB is only available to research collaborators. In line with our current IP Protection Policy both versions of the EQ-HWB instrument have been given an Experimental Version status. At a later stage EQ-HWB will be made available for wider use via the EuroQol website as a Beta Version.

We have created an EQ-HWB webpage on the EuroQol website where you can find the latest status updates on the new instrument, along with the EQ-HWB SIG members. Lastly, NICE has announced EQ-HWB on their website as well, see here.

Please contact us if you would like to know more about the EQ-HWB instrument.