Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life using the EQ-5D-3L in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

The daily experience with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has significant adverse effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). HRQoL assessment is essential for measuring the impact of the disease on the patient and selecting individualized strategies. Generic measures for assessing HRQoL are very useful because, unlike specific measurement instruments, they allow for the comparison with other instruments. The EQ-5D-3L is a generic measure and it describes HRQoL in five dimensions; mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/ depression, with three levels each. In Portugal, studies using the EQ-5D-3L as a generic measure to assess HRQoL in diabetic patients are scarce.