Study on the relationship between health-related quality of life and medical care and expenses

我们于2001年5月在京都的一家公司进行了一项研究，以调查EQ-5D测量的健康相关生活质量与医疗费用之间的关系。我们亦调查了2000年6月至2001年5月的社会保险纪录，以确定在过去12个月内的医疗服务使用情况。公司雇员的回应率为1367/2130（64.2%）。在被调查者中，有1241名员工在2000年6月至2001年5月的12个月内一直在该公司工作。效用得分为1.000，表明目前健康状况的5个维度没有问题，被称为"最佳健康"。72.4%的研究人群表现出"最佳健康状况"。卫生服务利用率为1102/1241（88.8%）。在效用得分为1.000的个体中，87.8%的人在过去12个月内看过医生，而效用得分低于1.000的个体中，92.4%的人在这段时间内没有看过医生（p = 0.021）。那些效用分数较低的人有更多的医疗费用。我们的研究结果表明，最近看过医生的员工的生活质量较差，而那些在问卷调查前一年没有看过医生的员工。

We conducted a study to investigate the relationship between health-related quality of life as measured by the EQ-5D and medical expenses in a Japanese company.We administered the EQ-5D in a company in Kyoto in May 2001. We also examined the respondents of social insurance records in order to ascertain health service use in the preceding 12 months from June 2000 to May 2001.The response rate of the company employees was 1367/2130 (64.2%). Among the respondents, 1241 employees had been working at the company in the preceding 12 months from June 2000 to May 2001.The utility score of 1.000 indicates no problems reported in 5 dimensions of current health state, and is referred as "best health". The "best health" was exhibited by 72.4% of the study population. The rate of health service use was 1102/1241 (88.8%). Among individuals who had 1.000 utility score,87.8% had seen a doctor in the preceding 12 months compared to 92.4% of those having less than 1.000 utility score who had not seen a doctor during that time period (p=0.021). Those who have less utility score have more medical expenses.Our results suggest that employees who saw doctors recently had poorer quality of life compared to those who had not seen doctors during in the year prior to administration of the questionnaire.