Large-Scale Population-Based Surveys Linked to Administrative Health Databases as a Source of Data on Health Utilities in Australia.

•It is ideal that modeling studies apply health utility values that are compatible, derived using common methods, and estimated in similar populations. Nevertheless, published values commonly disagree because of methodological differences. In particular, inconsistency across population norms and disease-related utilities can affect the conclusions of cost-effectiveness analyses and result in unreliable policy recommendations. Large samples with comprehensive health information can address this by reducing the need to source utilities from disparate and incompatible sources.•We estimated Short-Form 6-Dimension utilities for 56 094 older Australians in a population-based study, making use of survey responses and linked records on hospitalizations, subsidized healthcare claims, cancer registrations, and death registrations. Utilities were strongly associated with disability, health conditions, age, and other factors. Notably, health utility declined with increasing proximity to death, with differences observed by cause of death.•The use of administrative data greatly expanded the amount of health information available for the cohort compared with self-report alone. This demonstrates that data linkage can minimize the need to draw utility values from heterogeneous sources, ensuring that utility inputs in health economic modeling studies are compatible.