Estimating utility scores in young children with acute rotavirus gastroenteritis in the UK

Figures & data

Table 1. Health state descriptions presented to respondents.

General practitioners
Primary care only	Referred to hospital
>Acute gastroenteritis NOT severe enough to warrant referral for hospital admission	Acute gastroenteritis severe enough to warrant referral for hospital admission
Liquid diarrhoea (loose stools, non-bloody), 1–3 episodes/day	Liquid diarrhoea present (more than usual loose stools, non-bloody), 4 or more episodes/day
Vomiting either not present or infrequent	Vomiting may or may not be present
Fever may or may not be present	Fever may or may not be present
Dehydration may be present BUT parents/carers are able to manage rehydration at homeORNo signs of dehydration present and risk of dehydration is LOW	Signs of dehydration are present AND parents/carers are unable to manage rehydration at homeORThere is a high risk of dehydration (>4 vomits/day; >8 liquid stools/day; child aged <6 months)
Paediatricians
Hospitalised, severe	Hospitalised, very severe
Acute rotavirus infection severe enough to warrant admission or at least short-term observation	Acute rotavirus infection severe enough to warrant admission or at least short-term observation
Vesikari score ≥10	Vesikari score ≥10
Signs of 3–8% dehydration present OR high risk of dehydration	Signs of ≥9% dehydration present
Parents unable to manage rehydration

Vesikari score described in reference 2.

Table 2. Respondent characteristics.

	GPs (n=25)	Paediatricians (n=25)
Number (%) in each region
Scotland	5 (20)	4 (16)
Wales	5 (20)	6 (24)
Southeast England	5 (20)	6 (24)
Midlands	5 (20)	5 (20)
North/Northeast England	5 (20)	4 (16)
Years of experience
Mean	15.8	9.3
SEM	0.95	1.07
Median	18.0	8.0
Number of cases of acute gastroenteritis seen each month
Mean	18.1	20.6
SEM	4.00	4.60
Median	12.0	12.0

GP, general practitioner; SEM, standard error of the mean.

Table 3. General practitioner utility scores.

	Age <18 months		Age 18 months to 5 years
	Primary care only	Referred to hospital	Primary care only	Referred to hospital
EQ-5D utility scores (modified)
Mean	0.781	0.425	0.688	0.200
95% CI*	0.678, 0.884	0.330, 0.520	0.553, 0.824	0.049, 0.352
sd	0.263	0.243	0.345	0.386
Median	0.796	0.362	0.760	0.128
Lower quartile	0.760	0.197	0.620	–0.117
Upper quartile	1.000	0.433	0.883	0.620
p-value for difference between health states	p<0.0001		p<0.0001
EQ-5D utility scores (raw)
Mean	0.601	0.102	0.634	0.032
95% CI*	0.434, 0.768	–0.042, 0.246	0.473, 0.794	–0.131, 0.195
sd	0.426	0.367	0.409	0.417
Median	0.760	0.082	0.746	0.079
Lower quartile	0.436	–0.166	0.587	–0.331
Upper quartile	0.883	0.242	0.796	0.336

CI, confidence interval; sd, standard deviation.

Modified = EQ-5D scores adjusted to show no impact in mobility and self-care domains in age group <18 months, and no impact in self-care domain in age group 18 months to 5 years. Raw = actual EQ-5D score from respondents.

* Normal distribution assumption.

Table 4. Paediatrician utility scores.

	Age <18 months		Age 18 months to 5 years
	Hospitalised severe	Hospitalised very severe	Hospitalised severe	Hospitalised very severe
EQ-5D utility scores (modified)
Mean	0.595	0.256	0.634	0.077
95% CI*	0.528, 0.662	0.157, 0.354	0.549, 0.718	–0.057, 0.210
sd	0.171	0.251	0.217	0.340
Median	0.689	0.197	0.620	0.048
Lower quartile	0.433	0.099	0.620	–0.117
Upper quartile	0.689	0.433	0.991	0.293
p-value for difference between health states	p<0.0001		p<0.0001
EQ-5D utility scores (raw)
Mean	0.208	–0.208	0.542	–0.093
95% CI*	0.100, 0.315	–0.335, –0.080	0.445, 0.638	–0.242, 0.055
sd	0.275	0.325	0.246	0.379
Median	0.137	–0.331	0.516	–0.163
Lower quartile	0.079	–0.380	0.516	–0.331
Upper quartile	0.208	–0.095	0.621	0.079

CI, confidence interval; sd, standard deviation.

Modified = EQ-5D scores adjusted to show no impact in mobility and self-care domains in age group <18 months, and no impact in self-care domain in age group 18 months to 5 years. Raw = actual EQ-5D score from respondents.

* Normal distribution assumption.

Figure 1. EQ-5D utility scores (mean and 95% confidence interval) in age group <18 months.

Figure 2. EQ5D utility scores (mean and 95% confidence interval) in age group 18 months to 5 years.

Figure 3. Box and whisker plot showing utility scores in age group >18 months.

Figure 4. Box and whisker plot showing utility scores in age group 18 months to 5 years.