Non-response rates were not reported

EDITOR—Kind et al reported the results of a survey which aimed to measure the health of a representative sample of the population of the United Kingdom by using the EuroQoL EQ-5D questionnaire.1 The authors concluded that the instrument “is a practical way of measuring the health of a population and of detecting differences in subgroups of the population” and that “the results are indicative of the average health status in the general population of the United Kingdom … living in the community.” They do not, however, report the non-response rates of their survey.

We are informed that the respondents were representative of the general population in respect of age, sex, and social class. They may well have a similar distribution of these characteristics to the general population, but this does not make their views of their health status representative. Without knowing the …