Health Can Be Measured

2020 ◽  
pp. 61-73
Author(s):  
Joshua A. Salomon
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Global Burden Of Disease ◽  
Global Burden ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Disability Weights ◽  
Disease Study ◽  
Value Of Health

This chapter defends the view that it is possible to measure the quantity of health and not simply the value of health and that the 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) shows how this might be done. The author begins by offering a brief introduction to the GBD, focusing in particular on the evolution of measurement constructs and approaches pertaining to disability weights over the first several iterations of the GBD. The author then describes the new approach to disability weights measurement taken in the GBD 2010 study. Based on this, the chapter presents a conceptual framework and empirical evidence to support the claim that it is possible to measure quantities of health.

Disability weights for vision disorders in Global Burden of Disease study

The Lancet ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 381 (9860) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh R Taylor ◽  
Jost B Jonas ◽  
Jill Keeffe ◽  
Janet Leasher ◽  
Kovin Naidoo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Global Burden Of Disease ◽  
Global Burden ◽  
Vision Disorders ◽  
Disability Weights ◽  
Disease Study

Common values in assessing health outcomes from disease and injury: disability weights measurement study for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010

The Lancet ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 380 (9859) ◽  
pp. 2129-2143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua A Salomon ◽  
Theo Vos ◽  
Daniel R Hogan ◽  
Michael Gagnon ◽  
Mohsen Naghavi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Global Burden Of Disease ◽  
Global Burden ◽  
Measurement Study ◽  
Common Values ◽  
Disability Weights ◽  
Disease Study

Can Health Be Measured?

2020 ◽  
pp. 51-60
Author(s):  
Daniel M. Hausman
Keyword(s):  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Global Burden Of Disease ◽  
Global Burden ◽  
A Value ◽  
Disease Study ◽  
Made In ◽  
Value Of Health

This essay is concerned with conceptualizing the measurement of overall health. Its conclusion—that the measurement of health consists in assigning a value to health rather than in measuring some quantity or magnitude of health—challenges some of the claims made in the 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study (Salomon et al. 2012). The arguments here are drawn from the author’s book, Valuing Health: Well-Being, Freedom, and Suffering (Hausman 2015) and in several cases are developed further there. After saying a few words about why health needs to be measured or valued, what health is, and what measurement requires, the chapter argues that health is not measurable, because the relation “is at least as healthy as” is massively incomplete. The author also argues that even though the value of health is measurable, health itself cannot be measured indirectly by its value.

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