Table 2.

Example of Calculating QALYs for Temporary Health States

$\begin{array}{l}\text{Formula}=\\ [\text{Utility}\text{of}\text{the}\text{health}\text{state}\times \text{duration}\text{of}\text{the}\text{state}]+[\text{number}\text{of}\text{remaining}\text{healthy}\text{life}\text{years}\times \\ \text{utility}\text{of}\text{healthy}\text{years}]\end{array}$

In a study of wrist arthrodesis with a superficial wound infection,29 QALYs were calculated as: $\begin{array}{l}[0.85(\text{utility}\text{of}\text{infection})]\times [0.038\text{years}(\text{duration}\text{of}\text{infection})]\\ +\\ [30\text{years}(\text{healthy}\text{life}\text{years})-0.038]\times [0.82(\text{utility}\text{of}\text{healthy}\text{life}\text{years}\text{without}\text{complication})]\\ =24.6\text{QALYs}\end{array}$.