Lay summary
Measuring the health benefits of treatments consistently across a wide range of health conditions is crucial for informing resource allocation across the health system. This project will validate the SF-6D, a health utility instrument derived from the SF-12 and SF-36 questionnaires (the most common generic health-related quality of life measures used in health research and monitoring in New Zealand and worldwide), for the New Zealand population; derive a 'value set' for the SF-6D, representing the health preferences of the New Zealand population for use in health funding decision-making; and use these findings to investigate the impact of common long-term conditions on health-related quality of life in New Zealand. The results of this research will be useful for decision makers and researchers across the health sector, contributing to the efficiency of healthcare funding and resource allocation decisions to deliver the best health benefits from the health and wellbeing budget.