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Time to disable DALYs? On the use of disability-adjusted life-years in health policy

Lyttkens, Carl Hampus LU orcid (2003) In European Journal of Health Economics 4(3). p.195-202
Abstract
The concept of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) has rapidly gained in popularity in health policy, and considerable research resources are being allocated to this field. Proponents of DALYs suggest that the measure can be used both as a "gross domestic product of health" and to help in setting priorities in health policy. This study investigates the usefulness of DALYs and contends that DALYs, as the measure is currently understood, cannot be used for either of these two purposes. The DALYs procedure does not produce a useful measure of population health, and its use in priority setting is ethically questionable.
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
European Journal of Health Economics
volume
4
issue
3
pages
195 - 202
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:0141996498
ISSN
1618-7601
DOI
10.1007/s10198-003-0169-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b64cac78-29ac-411d-8a54-ab6808d1d2e7 (old id 1384656)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:39:20
date last changed
2023-11-10 19:40:43
@article{b64cac78-29ac-411d-8a54-ab6808d1d2e7,
  abstract     = {{The concept of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) has rapidly gained in popularity in health policy, and considerable research resources are being allocated to this field. Proponents of DALYs suggest that the measure can be used both as a "gross domestic product of health" and to help in setting priorities in health policy. This study investigates the usefulness of DALYs and contends that DALYs, as the measure is currently understood, cannot be used for either of these two purposes. The DALYs procedure does not produce a useful measure of population health, and its use in priority setting is ethically questionable.}},
  author       = {{Lyttkens, Carl Hampus}},
  issn         = {{1618-7601}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{195--202}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Health Economics}},
  title        = {{Time to disable DALYs? On the use of disability-adjusted life-years in health policy}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10198-003-0169-2}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10198-003-0169-2}},
  volume       = {{4}},
  year         = {{2003}},
}