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Table 1 Concordance between health-related quality of life results for rare and non-rare disease and symptom-specific tools versus the SF-36 and EQ-5D

From: Neutral theory: applicability and neutrality of using generic health-related quality of life tools in diseases or conditions where specific tools are available

Level of Concordance

Rare Disease

Non-rare Disease

Symptom-specific

SF-36 (n = 11)

EQ-5D (n = 0)

SF-36 (n = 84)

EQ-5D (n = 65)

SF-36 (n = 66)

EQ-5D (n = 31)

None

2 (18%)

25 (30%)

23 (35%)

24 (36%)

5 (16%)

Moderate

6 (55%)

35 (42%)

25 (38%)

30 (45%)

17 (55%)

Strong

3 (27%)

24 (29%)

17 (26%)

12 (18%)

9 (29%)

  1. Values represent number of studies (% of total). Rare disease: affecting < 1 in 2000 population; Non-rare diseases: ≥1 in 2000 population. Concordance: None (No) = significant impact on quality of life with disease/condition specific tool, but no change or the opposite impact with generic tool (or vice versa); Moderate = quality of life impact was scored in the same direction with both tools, but statistically significant with only one of them; Strong = results fully aligned (significant/non-significant impact in same direction)