Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) are a measure of the health benefit gained from a medical intervention or treatment. They take into account both the quantity of life gained and the quality of life experienced during that time.

QALYs are used in cost-effectiveness analyses to determine the value of a particular treatment or intervention. The QALY metric allows for the comparison of treatments that may extend life to different degrees, or that may improve the quality of life in different ways.

To calculate QALYs, the length of time a person is expected to live with a particular treatment or intervention is multiplied by a quality of life score, which ranges from 0 (equivalent to being dead) to 1 (equivalent to perfect health). The result is the number of QALYs gained.

Cost-effectiveness analyses using QALYs compare the cost of a treatment or intervention to the number of QALYs gained. The goal of such analyses is to identify treatments that provide the most health benefit for the least cost.

QALYs have been used in a variety of settings, including in the assessment of new drugs and medical devices, and in the allocation of healthcare resources.

However, it should be noted that QALYs are not without criticisms, which include concerns about valuing different lives differently, and ethical issues that arise from the use of QALYs in resource allocation.

In conclusion, Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) are a useful measure of the health benefit gained from a medical intervention or treatment, and they are used in cost-effectiveness analyses to determine the value of a particular treatment or intervention. It is important to consider the potential limitations of this metric in specific cases.

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