Historical Dictionary of the Welfare State by Greve Bent

Author:Greve, Bent [Greve, Bent]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Published: 2014-01-07T16:00:00+00:00

Q

QALY. The quality-adjusted life year (QALY) is a measurement of the quality and quantity of life. It is used when assessing which intervention gives the greatest increase in QALY for the least cost. QALY is based on the number of years of life that would be added by a health activity. Each year in perfect health is given the value of one. The value is zero for being dead. A year with, for example, some kind of disability will have a value above zero but below one. It is criticized from an ethical point of view because its use, when deciding interventions, will discriminate against the elderly and/or people with disabilities. On the other hand, when comparing two types of intervention, it can be used to decide which produces the greatest gain.

QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS. A method of analysis that is not based on precise quantitative measurement. Methods used include interviews, which try to get information on a specific subject from the informant. The interviews can be conducted in a variety of ways. Observation of behavior and case-based analysis can also be utilized.

QUALITY OF LIFE. A concept that refers to the well-being of individuals and societies. Quality of life is typically measured by such indicators as income, wealth, and employment; however, monetary and nonmonetary aspects are often included, as is also the case with social indicators. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development measures the quality of life in their study called “How’s Life” (www.oecd.org/statistics/howslife.htm). The measurements also include issues on environment, civic engagement, and so forth.

QUASI-MARKETS. A market that is neither fully private nor fully public in its provision of goods. It is a system of delivering goods and services that takes elements from a “normal” market and combines them with public-sector intervention. These markets also differ in that providers do not necessarily have a profit motive, and consumers do not necessarily have money power, but rather power in the form of vouchers or rights to treatment or choice between various providers.

The development of quasi-markets has been seen as a way of breaking the state monopoly without fully reducing the possibility of state intervention. They can combine more effective provision of goods and services with equal access; however, whether this is the case depends on the concrete example and structure of the quasi-markets. Equal access and equality seem possible to achieve in the area of hospitals, whereas they seem less likely to occur in primary education.

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