This study used standard gamble (SG) utility interviews to assess parent preferences for health states of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Health state utilities are needed to calculate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), a critical outcome measure in cost-effectiveness studies of new treatments. Parents (n = 43) of children diagnosed with ADHD completed SG utility interviews, rating their child's current health and 11 hypothetical health states describing untreated ADHD and ADHD treated with a stimulant or non-stimulant. Parents completed questionnaires on their children's symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQL). Parents' SG rating of their child's current health state (mean of 0.74 on a utility scale ranging from 0 to 1) was significantly correlated with inattentive, hyperactive, and overall ADHD symptoms (r = 0.37, 0.36, and 0.40 respectively; p < 0.05) and psychosocial HRQL domains. Hypothetical health state utilities ranged from 0.48 (severe untreated ADHD) to0.88 (effective and tolerable non-stimulant treatment). Comparisons between health states found expected differences between untreated mild, moderate, and severe ADHD health states. When both treatments were effective and tolerable, parents preferred the non-stimulant health state over the stimulant health state (p < 0.03). Results suggest that parent SG interviews are a feasible and useful method for obtaining utility scores that can be used in cost-effectiveness models of ADHD treatment.
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