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

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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.