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Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALY)

Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY) is a measure used to assess the value of medical interventions. It combines the quantity and quality of life gained from a treatment. One QALY equates to one year of life lived in perfect health. If a treatment allows someone to live for a year but with a reduced quality of life, it’s represented as a fraction of a QALY. For example, living a year in poor health might equal 0.5 QALYs. This metric helps healthcare providers and policymakers evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of various health interventions.

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    Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) are a way to measure the value of health outcomes. One QALY represents one year of life in perfect health. If a person has a year of life with less than perfect health, that year is adjusted based on their quality of life. For example, if someone lives a year but is only in good health 50% of the time, that year counts as 0.5 QALY. This metric helps healthcare professionals and policymakers evaluate the effectiveness of treatments and prioritize resources by comparing the benefits of different health interventions.