Improved RIDIT statistic approach provides more intuitive and informative interpretation of EQ-5D data

Background EQ-5D is generic measure of health-related quality of life. Studies using EQ-5D generate ordinal data that are interpreted as categories ordered by severity. New analytic approaches taking into account the ordinal nature of the health dimension severity and leading to a better interpretation of EQ-5D data are needed to better elucidate differences in health-related quality of life. We propose utilizing the Improved RIDIT statistical method to analyze EQ-5D outcomes. Methods 556 Moroccan participants aged over 18 years representing four chronic diseases: back pain ( n = 158), renal insufficiency ( n = 56), diabetes ( n = 82) or hypertension ( n = 80) and healthy subjects ( n = 180). All participants received the two EQ-5D versions. Two other published data sets were included. The first was extracted from a diabetic Spain study and the second was extracted from a clinical trial study. The Improved RIDIT analyses were carried out using an R statistic program we developed. Results Applying the Improved RIDIT on the EQ-5D data allowed estimating for the first time the ordinal odds, the Absolute Risk Reduction (ARR) or the Absolute Risk Increase (ARI) and the Number Needed to Treat. The ARI values estimated for Moroccan patients showed that (i) hypertension increased anxiety/depression by 66% and reduced mobility by 65%; (ii) back pain increased pain/discomfort by 69%; (iii) renal insufficiency impacts mobility (ARI = 57%, odds ordinal = 9.95) and usual activities (ARI = 44%, odds ordinal = 6.41) and (iv) diabetes acts only on anxiety/depression (ARI = 50%, odds ordinal = 4.8). Also, we demonstrated that the approach works well in clinical trials. Conclusions Improved RIDIT provides more intuitive and informative interpretation of the EQ-5D data by (1) taking into account the level severity; estimating (2) the odds ordinal, (3) the ARR/ARI and the NNT; (4) analyzing the five dimensions of the EQ-5D separately, which gives clinical teams more precision in understanding the treatment/pathology impacts on the health status and completes the EQ-5D data analysis based on score utilities.