Table 2.

Patient Valuation of Different Possible Outcomes are Proportionately Represented as “Utilities”on a Scale Ranging from 0 (Death) to 1 (Full Recovery with No Amputation or Limp)

Possible outcome	Utility*
Recovery with a limp	0.98†
Recovery with foot amputation	0.70
Recovery with leg amputation	0.60†
Entire limb saved and no limp	1.00 (assumed)
Death	0.00 (assumed)

†“Utility” may be understood as a number assigned to the quality of life a patient would attach to a particular outcome on a defined scale. It is a means of converting a qualitative statement of relative preference by a patient into a numerical value. These may be derived directly from your patient or in some cases from published studies