Burden of disease (BoD) as measured by Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) is one of the criteria for priority-setting in health care resource allocation. DALYs incorporate disability weights (DWs), which are currently expert-derived estimates or non-existent for most pediatric surgical conditions. The objective of this study was to establish DWs for a subset of key pediatric congenital anomalies using a range of health valuation metrics with caregivers in both high- (Canada) and low-resource (Kenya) settings.
Impact
The research was carried out in Kenya and Canada, developing new health metric methodology in a controversial field with significant implications for medical resource allocations globally. Three significant publications reached a wide audience, including in the prestigious Population Health Metrics and World Journal of Surgery. The methods and Disability Weights derived are impacting global measures of the burden of pediatric surgical conditions and will lead to more attention and resources.
Student Experience
McMaster students participated in the research design, data collection, presentations and manuscript preparation.
